Mandalika – When the lights go out and motorcycles accelerate into the first corner, most attention is focused on the riders and the machines fighting for position. Away from the spotlight, however, another team has already spent countless hours preparing the circuit, vehicles and equipment needed to keep a motorsport event running safely.
At Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, that responsibility continues throughout the year. Mandalika Grand Prix Association (MGPA) recorded 270 days of activity at the circuit in 2025, including international events such as MotoGP and the Asia Road Racing Championship, as well as national motorsport competitions and other activities.
With a 4.3-kilometre circuit featuring 17 corners, maintaining the facility requires much more than preparing the track immediately before a race.
The Work Behind Every Race Weekend
For spectators, the circuit can look completely different depending on whether a major event is taking place. For the operational team, however, preparations and maintenance continue between events.
Operational vehicles must remain ready, equipment needs to be inspected, work areas have to be maintained and technical requirements must be addressed before they become problems during an event.
“Readiness is not only needed when an event takes place, but also during preparation and daily maintenance,” said Donny Mahardjono, Director of Operations at MGPA.
The workload becomes even more demanding because Mandalika hosts events that require international safety standards. The circuit must therefore maintain its operational condition rather than simply preparing for a particular race weekend.
According to Donny, FIM standards are something that need to be maintained consistently. Track conditions, run-off areas, safety equipment and operational readiness all form part of the wider safety system.
Technicians Are Part of the Motorsport Team
The people working behind the scenes may not appear on television broadcasts, but their work is closely connected to what happens on the track.
Technicians are responsible for maintaining operational vehicles and equipment, while also carrying out inspections to identify potential problems before they affect operations.
Their work can involve cordless tools, impact wrenches and grinders for maintenance and repair tasks. Other equipment can help with inspections that cannot be completed effectively through a simple visual check.
Thermal cameras, for example, can help identify unusual temperature differences in components. Inspection cameras can also allow technicians to examine areas that are difficult to access directly.
These tools can make inspection work more precise and help technicians identify issues that might otherwise remain hidden.
For a busy motorsport facility, that capability can be particularly valuable because equipment may need to be ready repeatedly throughout the year.
Keeping Vehicles and Work Areas Ready
Circuit maintenance does not stop with the racing surface.
Vehicles used for daily operations also require regular attention. Components such as batteries and windshield wipers may appear relatively simple, but they remain essential to keeping operational vehicles available when needed.
The surrounding work environment requires maintenance as well.
Pressure washers, blowers and industrial vacuum cleaners can be used to clean vehicles and work areas, helping technicians maintain a suitable environment for daily operations.
Taken together, these tasks show how much infrastructure is required to support a motorsport venue.
The race itself may last only a few hours, but the equipment and personnel supporting it need to function before, during and after the event.
Technology Supporting the People Behind the Circuit
MGPA’s maintenance activities are also supported through a collaboration with Bosch Indonesia.
Bosch provides Bosch Power Tools and Bosch Mobility Aftermarket solutions for vehicle maintenance and operational requirements at the circuit.
The partnership covers equipment used for technical work, inspection and maintenance, illustrating how the technology surrounding motorsport extends well beyond the motorcycles competing on the track.
Fenny Sofyan, Country Head of Corporate Communications & Government Relations at Bosch Indonesia, said the automotive sector should be viewed as an interconnected ecosystem.
That ecosystem includes tools, inspection equipment, maintenance procedures and vehicle components that have to work together to support professional operations.
In motorsport, she added, technology is not simply about performance. Reliability and durability are equally important because the equipment used by technicians can ultimately contribute to maintaining a safe operating environment.
A Circuit Cannot Wait Until Race Day
Mandalika’s 270 active days in 2025 demonstrate why circuit operations cannot be treated as a race-day task.
The venue hosts multiple forms of activity throughout the year, meaning its infrastructure and supporting equipment must be continuously maintained between major events.
That requires trained technicians, appropriate tools and a maintenance process that can identify potential problems before they become operational issues.
When MotoGP riders or other competitors finally enter the circuit, spectators see the result of that preparation as racing action. What they do not necessarily see are the people who inspected the equipment, maintained the vehicles, checked the facilities and prepared the working environment long before the starting lights came on.
For Mandalika, keeping the circuit ready is therefore a race that never really stops. The riders may only appear for a weekend, but the people and tools behind them keep working throughout the year.