In 2022, MotoGP riders tested Mandalika and found the racing line too narrow to ride properly. Organisers re-paved about 17.5 percent of the track before the first race. This weekend, the same circuit hosts the world’s fastest riders, and it has the FIM’s highest safety grade.
That grade is the Mandalika Grade A homologation. It matters more than most fans realise.
Mandalika Grade A homologation is the top circuit approval from the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). It clears Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit in Central Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, to host MotoGP Indonesia 2026 from 9 to 11 October. The circuit operator, InJourney Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), says preparation is 100 percent complete.

At a glance

• 100%: readiness reported by ITDC
• 4.3 km: track length
• 22: rounds in the 2026 MotoGP calendar 
  
  

What does Grade A homologation actually mean?

Think of it as a driving test for a racetrack. FIM inspectors check the surface, run-off areas, gravel, race electronics and track cleaning. If the circuit fails, the race can’t go ahead. Grade A is the highest level on that scale.

Why did Mandalika have to earn it again?

Because Grade A is not a lifetime badge. The circuit got Grade B during the 2021 World Superbike round. It earned Grade A on 17 March 2022, just days before its first MotoGP race. It was cleared again on 26 September 2024.

For 2026, ITDC President Director Ahmad Fajar says both the track and the support facilities are ready. The work started months ago. In March, Mandalika Grand Prix Association (MGPA) staff went to the Buriram round in Thailand to work with the FIM’s safety officer.

“We are focusing on operational benchmarking and motorsport coordination.”
  Donny Mahardjono, Vice President of Motorsport, MGPA

That trip covered the boring but vital details: race electronics, run-off areas, track cleaning and gravel specifications.

What is new at MotoGP Indonesia 2026?

From the air, the circuit looks like a painting. Red-and-white kerbs glow against the grey asphalt, with Lombok’s hills behind them. Giant white “InJourney” lettering is painted across the track surface.

Off the track, organisers have set up a merchandise area, an entertainment stage and stands for local small businesses (UMKM). Inside the garages, riders and crews are studying the circuit. The title fight is also tightening, so every point counts.

The schedule is tight too. Mandalika comes one week after the Japan round and two weeks before Australia. Teams barely have time to unpack.

Which Indonesian riders should you watch?

Two Indonesians race this season. Veda Ega Pratama rides in Moto3, and Mario Aji rides in Moto2, where he is in his fifth year. Both have trained on this track. Veda was a standout here in the 2023 Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup.

The paperwork is done. Now the racing starts.