Jakarta National Monument Circuit (Monas, planned/never built)

Jakarta National Monument Circuit (Monas, planned/never built) at a glance

Location

Central Jakarta, Jakarta

Type

historic circuit (defunct)

Surface

asphalt (proposed)

Owner

Jakarta Propertindo (Jakpro), proposed

Address

Merdeka Square, Gambir

Track map and layout

The Jakarta National Monument Circuit was never built. It was a proposed Formula E street circuit, designed by Hermann Tilke's firm as his first-ever layout for the all-electric series, intended to loop around Merdeka Square and the National Monument (Monas) obelisk in the heart of central Jakarta. Detailed public specifications for the final layout (length, turn count, direction) were never released for construction, because the project was cancelled before it reached the building stage. The proposal went through at least one revision after an initial rejection by local authorities before permits were ultimately withdrawn altogether in December 2021.

Events and race weekends

No race was ever held here. The Jakarta E-Prix was originally planned to run around Monas from as early as June 2020, but the event was first postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, then rescheduled for June 2022, before city authorities withdrew the necessary permits in December 2021 over cost and city-traffic disruption concerns. Formula E and organiser Jakarta Propertindo (Jakpro) instead built an entirely new purpose-built circuit at Ancol Beach, which hosted the actual Jakarta E-Prix from 2022 (see the separate Jakarta International E-Prix Circuit).

Getting there and parking

Merdeka Square and the National Monument sit in the heart of central Jakarta and remain a major public park and tourist landmark, easily reached by the city's MRT (Bundaran HI or Istiqlal-area stations nearby), TransJakarta busway, or taxi/ride-hailing; there was never any race-specific visitor infrastructure since no event took place.

• Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (CGK) · about 45 min drive

There is nothing race-related to see on site; Monas is a public monument and park with its own separate visitor facilities, unrelated to the cancelled circuit plan.

Hotels and camping near Jakarta National Monument Circuit (Monas, planned/never built)

Central Jakarta around Menteng, Sudirman and Thamrin, close to Merdeka Square itself, is the natural hotel base for anyone visiting the National Monument area, with a wide range of international hotels within walking or short driving distance.

Where to look

Menteng, Thamrin and Sudirman districts of central Jakarta, all close to Merdeka Square.

Track days, driving experiences and lap records

There was never a circuit to drive; the project was cancelled before construction began, so no track-day or driving access exists or ever existed at this site.

Spectator guide

No spectator event was ever held, as the circuit was never built and no race took place at this location.

Weather

• June (originally planned race month): Jakarta's dry season; hot and humid with daytime highs around 31-33°C

History of Jakarta National Monument Circuit (Monas, planned/never built)

A street circuit that never left the drawing board

The Jakarta National Monument Circuit refers to a Formula E street-race proposal for central Jakarta that was ultimately cancelled before any track was built. First mooted around 2019, the plan called for a temporary street circuit looping around Merdeka Square and the National Monument (Monas), Jakarta's most recognisable landmark, designed by Hermann Tilke's firm in what would have been Tilke's first layout created specifically for Formula E. The race was originally scheduled for June 2020 as part of Jakarta's push to join Formula E's global calendar of city-centre races.

Pandemic delay, then permit withdrawal

The COVID-19 pandemic forced a postponement of the 2020 date, and organisers subsequently worked to reschedule the event for June 2022. Along the way, local authorities initially rejected aspects of the proposed course, prompting a revised layout, but the project's problems ran deeper than routing. In December 2021, with construction time running short, Jakarta city authorities withdrew the permits needed to close Merdeka Square and the surrounding streets, citing concerns over the event's cost and the disruption a temporary circuit would cause to traffic in the city centre. Because Monas is a protected national monument and public park, any significant works or new asphalt around the site also carried heritage and preservation risk that made approval politically difficult.

Replaced by a new venue at Ancol

With the Monas plan dead, race organiser Jakarta Propertindo (Jakpro) and Formula E Operations had only months to find an alternative, settling on the Ancol Beach entertainment district in North Jakarta, where a completely new purpose-built circuit was constructed from scratch in early 2022. That venue, the Jakarta International E-Prix Circuit, hosted the actual Jakarta E-Prix from June 2022 onward. The Monas circuit itself remains an unbuilt proposal: no track was ever laid, no race was ever held, and Merdeka Square continues to function as an ordinary public monument and park rather than a motorsport venue.

Frequently asked questions

Other tracks nearby

• Jakarta International E-Prix Circuit · 7 km · historic circuit (defunct)
• Sentul International Circuit · 40 km · road course
• Marina Bay Street Circuit · 893 km · street circuit
• Johor Circuit · 911 km · historic circuit (defunct)