The inaugural Aspire Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League (A2RL) took place at the Yas Marina Circuit on April 27, with an audience of 10,000 spectators.
Eight international teams competed across two days of races and challenges. Each team featured coders and engineers and had access to identical Dallara Super Formula SF23 cars, autonomized with racing stacks developed by the Technology Innovation Institute (TII) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The competition offered a prize pool of US$2.25m.
TUM (Technical University of Munich) from Germany claimed victory at Yas Marina Circuit on Saturday, overtaking the Italian team UNIMORE on the final lap when it slowed down and came to a stop on the track.
The team was congratulated on the racetrack by H.H. Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed, who presented the Championship Trophy, along with H.E. Faisal Al Bannai, secretary general of the Advanced Technology Research Council – Aspire’s parent entity, and strategic research and advanced technology affairs advisor to the UAE President.
In the inaugural event, the race featured four autonomous cars simultaneously driving on the racetrack and included pre-qualifying races, culminating in a final Overtaking Challenge to determine the winner. An ‘AI vs Human’ race took place, with TII’s autonomous car competing against former F1 driver Daniil Kvyat.
While Kvyat managed to hold his own and edge past his autonomous adversary by 10.38 seconds, the 45-minute race highlighted just how close the autonomous race car performs against a human driver.
Faisal Al Bannai highlighted the event’s role in advancing technology: “This reimagined racing paradigm harnesses the pinnacle of coding skills, AI algorithms and software development prowess — the very skill sets of the future.”
Stephane Timpano, CEO, Aspire, the organizer of A2RL, explained, “With the support of local and international partners, we’re bringing the mobility future closer.”
Technical partners included Dallara, Danisi Engineering, Meccanica 42, Kistler, Seyond, Eventagrate, Live in Five, Focal Point VR and Vislink.
Further leading partners included Du, DMT, AWS and Mubadala.
An exclusive Fan Zone offered activities for families, motorsport fans and tech enthusiasts, including VR experiences and coding competitions.
Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) supported the event as title sponsor. Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, minister of industry and advanced technology and group MD & CEO of ADNOC, said, “A2RL epitomizes our dedication to integrating cutting-edge technology including AI, driving competitiveness and economic growth across sectors. For decades, ADNOC has invested in the latest technology and innovation – from the control room to the board room – to deliver the modern energy that powers our lives.”
Al Bannai said, “Showcasing fully autonomous race cars competing wheel-to-wheel, we’ve redefined the UAE’s role in innovation and set a bold precedent for global mobility. This event isn’t just a race; it’s a transformative moment where technology, imagination and ambition converge.”
The inaugural A2RL event is part of Abu Dhabi Mobility Week, running from April 24 to May 1.