WORLD’S LARGEST AUTONOMOUS CAR RACE KICKS OFF IN ABU DHABI

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 14 (Bernama) -- The world’s largest autonomous car race, the Autonomous 2 Racing League (A2RL) Season 2 Grand Final, is set to take place in Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit on Nov 15, featuring 11 teams from around the globe competing for a US$2.25 million prize pool. (US$1=RM4.12).

According to a statement, after 18 months of preparation, the six fastest teams earned spots in the Grand Final following a rigorous qualification process.

The A2RL Grand Final will mark the first time that six fully autonomous racecars will compete wheel-to-wheel on track. Teams TUM, Unimore, Kinetiz, TII Racing, PoliMOVE and Constructor—representing Germany, Italy, and the United Arab Emirates—will battle over 20 laps to claim the Season 2 Champion.

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Reigning champions TUM secured pole position, setting the stage for a historic showdown with rivals like Italian team Unimore.

Meanwhile, for the remaining five teams, RAPSON, Code 19, Fly Eagle, FR4IAV and TGM Grand Prix, A2RL will host a Silver Race, offering them the opportunity to push their algorithms to the limit and cement their overall position in the standings.

Pre-season build-up for the race has seen record-setting performance as the gap between human and AI performance narrows. During qualification, Unimore was the first to beat a benchmark lap time set by a human racing driver while testing.

This demonstration of machine precision versus human instinct, and the rapid evolution of AI performance, will be showcased on race day. TUM will have the privilege of racing against former F1 driver Daniil Kvyat in A2RL’s second Human vs AI showcase, with a close battle expected in this exhibition.

Kicking off the evening’s main events, Group 63 will take to the track for a spectacular Supercar Parade Laps display, followed by awards for the A2RL STEM Competition, involving 140 students from across all seven Emirates racing AWS DeepRacer 1/18th-scale autonomous cars.

Furthermore, this year’s world-class Fan Zone will offer an immersive experience for all ages featuring humanoid robot showcases, interactive games, hands-on tech activations, live entertainment, and family-friendly attractions.

The race will be broadcast globally on Nov 16 on the Abu Dhabi Media Network, StarzPlay, Motorsport TV and the official A2RL YouTube Channel. Fans can also engage through A2RL’s live VR platform, offering real-time track action and high-speed data.

-- BERNAMA