Sentul International Circuit


Sentul International Circuit is a 50,000-capacity permanent motor racing circuit located at Sentul City, Babakan Madang, Bogor, near the Toll Gate of Jakarta towards Bogor Regency, Indonesia.
Its pit facilities have easy access to the Jagorawi Toll Road. The current circuit is a truncated version of the original design. Approximately 40% shorter than the original, the circuit runs clockwise and is predominantly used for motorcycle racing and the Asian F3 series. Sentul is a relatively simple, smooth, broad track with large runoff areas, enabling non-bumpy and smooth driving at racing speeds. Sentul has a main straight that allows speeds of up to before slowing for the right-hand Turn 1. The only truly high-speed corner at Sentul is Turn 2. The fastest driver on four-wheel machines can do, and the fastest rider can do on two-wheel machines. They can take Turn 2 as a complex "S" bend when they get out from the tighter Turn 1 at around. The wide corners allow good passing with various racing lines.
Sentul is located in Bogor Regency. It is a hilly area and a bit cooler than the tropical city of Jakarta. However, the track can still get extremely hot under direct sunlight. It is also humid and wet as well. Such characteristics cause distress to European tuners, riders and drivers who are accustomed to cooler climates.

History

Sentul International Circuit was designed to meet the Formula One motor racing standard and was the first serious attempt outside Japan to meet such a standard in Asia. The vision came to Indonesia around 1990 when Hutomo Mandala Putra, motor racing enthusiast and son of President Suharto, began promoting the construction of a track at Sentul. Racing had previously been held at the short, tight and relatively dangerous Ancol Circuit, on the Java Sea coast in north Jakarta. In August 1993, the circuit was officially opened by Suharto.
While Sentul International Circuit was intended to be Indonesia's Formula Two showcase to the world, its tight corners and shortened length rendered it unsuitable for Formula One. Sentul has been used for the Superbike World Championship between 1994 and 1997 and the FIM Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix in 1996 and 1997.
The 1997 Asian Financial Crisis worsened the situation and made motor racing an unaffordable luxury for many Indonesian enthusiasts who had been participating. The facility has also come to be overshadowed by the Sepang International Circuit, built in 1999, which possessed a superior track layout and facilities.
In the mid-2000s, the circuit held two rounds of the A1 Grand Prix of Nations, in the 2005–06 and 2006–07 seasons respectively. In 2008, the GP2 Asia Series raced at Sentul. A Superstars Series race was planned in 2012 and an Asian Le Mans Series race in 2013, but these ultimately were cancelled.
MotoGP was set to return to Indonesia in 2017, dependent on finding the 15 billion rupiah required to get the circuit up to FIM Grade 1. Due to the rapid rise in popularity of Formula One in Indonesia following the debut of Rio Haryanto in 2016, Formula One Management are said to be looking into the viability of holding a race at Sentul provided the upgrades are given the green light, however the plan never materialized, and Dorna Sports would eventually gave the hosting rights for the return of the Indonesian motorcycle Grand Prix in 2021 to the Mandalika Circuit in Lombok instead of Sentul.
Sentul International Circuit continues to host various events but mostly motorbike racing with ISSOM events also held throughout the year. It also hosted the para-cycling road race for the 2018 Asian Para Games.

Track description

Other facilities include:

Indonesian motorcycle Grand Prix

SeasonWinner 500ccWinner 250ccWinner 125ccReport
1996 Michael Doohan Tetsuya Harada Masaki Tokudomereport
1997 Tadayuki Okada Max Biaggi Valentino Rossireport

A1 Grand Prix

SeasonSprint Race WinnerFeature Race WinnerReport
2005–06 Nicolas Lapierre Sean McIntoshreport
2006–07 Jonny Reid Jonny Reidreport

GP2 Asia

SeasonRace 1 WinnerRace 2 Winner
2008 Sébastien Buemi Fairuz Fauzy

Asian Formula 3

Series 2005
RoundRace WinnerFastest Lap
10 Tyson Sy Tyson Sy
9 Tyson Sy Tyson Sy
8 Ananda Mikola John O'Hara
7 John O'Hara John O'Hara

Series 2006
RoundRace WinnerFastest Lap
15CancelledCancelled
14 James Winslow Alistair Jackson
13 James Winslow James Winslow
12 James Winslow James Winslow
11 James Winslow James Winslow
10 James Winslow James Winslow