 Grand Prix Circuit (1993–present) | |
| Location | Sentul City,Bogor Regency,West Java,Indonesia |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 6°32′9.1″S106°51′24.4″E / 6.535861°S 106.856778°E /-6.535861; 106.856778 |
| Capacity | 50,000 |
| Broke ground | January 1992; 33 years ago (1992-01) |
| Opened | 21 August 1993; 32 years ago (1993-08-21) |
| Major events | Current: Indonesia Touring Car Championship Former: Grand Prix motorcycle racing Indonesian motorcycle Grand Prix (1996–1997) World SBK (1994–1997) Asia Road Racing Championship (1996–2000, 2002–2018) Porsche Carrera Cup Asia (2006–2009) GP2 Asia (2008) Speedcar Series (2008) A1 GP (2006) Indonesian Grand Prix (1993) |
| Website | https://sentulinternationalcircuit.com/ |
| Grand Prix Circuit (1993–present) | |
| Length | 3.965 km (2.464 mi) |
| Turns | 11 |
| Race lap record | 1:15.686 ( Bruno Senna,Dallara GP2/05,2008,GP2 Asia) |
Sentul International Circuit is a 50,000-capacity[1] permanentmotor racing circuit located atSentul City,Babakan Madang,Bogor Regency,West Java, Indonesia, near the toll gate of Jakarta towardsBogor city and areas at the foot of Jonggol Mountains[2]
Its pit facilities have easy access to theJagorawi 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 theAsian 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 900-metre (3,000 ft) main straight that allows speeds of up to 300 kilometres per hour (190 mph) 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 220 kilometres per hour (140 mph), and the fastest rider can do 190 kilometres per hour (120 mph) 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 140 kilometres per hour (87 mph). The wide corners allow good passing with various racing lines.
Located in Bogor Regency, Sentul is a hilly area at the foot of the Jonggol Mountains and a bit cooler than the tropical city ofJakarta. 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.[3]
Sentul International Circuit (section) 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 toIndonesia around 1990 whenHutomo Mandala Putra, motor racing enthusiast and son of PresidentSuharto, began promoting the construction of a track at Sentul. Racing had previously been held at the short, tight and relatively dangerousJaya Ancol Circuit, on theJava Sea coast inNorth Jakarta. In August 1993, the circuit was officially inaugurated with the1993 Indonesian Grand Prix forFormula Holden.[2]
While Sentul International Circuit was intended to be Indonesia's Formula Two showcase to the world, its tight corners and shortened 3.965 km (2.464 mi) length rendered it unsuitable for Formula One. On 13 October 1996 thePacific GP was to be held at the Sentul Circuit but it was cancelled for previous mentioned reason.[4] Sentul has been used for theSuperbike World Championship between 1994 and 1997 and the FIMRoad Racing World Championship Grand Prix in 1996 and 1997.
The1997 Asian financial crisis worsened the situation and made motor racing an unaffordable luxury for manyIndonesian enthusiasts who had been participating. The facility has also come to be overshadowed by theSepang International Circuit, built in 1999, which possessed a superior track layout and facilities.
In the mid-2000s, the circuit held two rounds of theA1 Grand Prix of Nations, in the2005–06 and2006–07 seasons respectively. In 2008, theGP2 Asia Series raced at Sentul. ASuperstars Series race was planned in 2012 and anAsian 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 billionrupiah (approximately US$1.12 million) required to get the circuit up to FIM Grade 1.[5] Due to the rapid rise in popularity ofFormula One in Indonesia following the debut ofRio 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, andDorna Sports would eventually gave the hosting rights for the return of theIndonesian motorcycle Grand Prix to theMandalika Circuit inLombok instead of Sentul, which was held in March 2022.[6][7]
Sentul International Circuit continues to host various events but mostly motorbike racing with ISSOM events also held throughout the year. It also hosted thepara-cycling road race for the2018 Asian Para Games.[8]
Other facilities include:
As of October 2018, the fastest official race lap records at the Sentul International Circuit are listed as:
| Season | Winner 500cc | Winner 250cc | Winner 125cc | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 |  Mick Doohan |  Tetsuya Harada | Masaki Tokudome | Report |
| 1997 | Tadayuki Okada |  Max Biaggi | Valentino Rossi | Report |
| Season | Race 1 | Race 2 | Report |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 |  Jamie Whitham | Carl Fogarty | Report |
| 1995 | Carl Fogarty |  Aaron Slight | Report |
| 1996 |  John Kocinski | John Kocinski | Report |
| 1997 | John Kocinski | Carl Fogarty | Report |
| Season | Sprint Race Winner | Feature Race Winner | Report |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005–06 |  Nicolas Lapierre |  Sean McIntosh | Report |
| 2006–07 | Jonny Reid | Jonny Reid | Report |
| Season | Race 1 Winner | Race 2 Winner | Report |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 |  Sébastien Buemi |  Fairuz Fauzy | Report |
| Season | Race 1 Winner | Race 2 Winner | Report |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Jean Alesi |  Uwe Alzen | Report |
Series 2005
| Round | Race winner | Fastest lap |
|---|---|---|
| 10 |  Tyson Sy | Tyson Sy (1'24.594) |
| 9 | Tyson Sy | Tyson Sy (1'24.791) |
| 8 |  Ananda Mikola |  John O'Hara (1'25.092) |
| 7 | John O'Hara | John O'Hara (1'25.221) |
Series 2006
| Round | Race winner | Fastest lap |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | Cancelled | Cancelled |
| 14 | James Winslow | Alistair Jackson (1'25.929) |
| 13 | James Winslow | James Winslow (1'26.011) |
| 12 | James Winslow | James Winslow (1'26.447) |
| 11 | James Winslow | James Winslow (1'26.179) |
| 10 | James Winslow | James Winslow (1'26.167) |