Bring F1 to Indonesia: IMI chairman candidate
Off track: In this Sept. 24 file photo, Sauber driver Kamui Kobayashi of Japan loses a control prior to a crash on the wall during the qualifying session for a Singapore Formula One Grand Prix on the Marina Bay City Circuit in Singapore. (AP/Terence Tan)
One person running to be the Indonesian Motorsports Association’s (IMI) next chairman says he wants to bring Formula 1 racing to the nation.
“If Malaysia and Singapore can do it, why can’t we? Even though this is just my dream, I’ll work very hard to make it happen,” National Police deputy chief Comr. Gen Nanan Soekarna said on Monday in a press statement as quoted by tempo.co.
Nanan, who if elected would join a long line of senior police and military officers heading national athletic organizations, said he wanted to bring all automotive sports under IMI up to the international level.
"We have potential racers. IMI will support them to race outside Indonesia,” Nanan said, adding that he would involve the government, sole-authorized agents (ATPM) and other relevant parties to support the move.
IMI is set to appoint a new chairman at its national meeting later this week in Surakarta, Central Java.
Nanan is competing with Army Lt. Gen. Hotma Mangaradja Panjaitan and businessmen Adiguna Sutowo, Benny Laos, Sadikin Aksa and Johny Pramono to replace the current IMI chairman, Ari Batubara.
