TUM (Technical University of Munich) from Germany, claimed victory at the inaugural Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League (A2RL), at Yas Marina Circuit on Saturday (April 27).
As the cars lined up on the grid, with antennae, sensors, AI capabilities, and drive-by-wire systems instead of human drivers, eight teams vied with one another over two days of races and challenges. TUM beat back the competition with its coding and engineering skills in a world-first, four-car race finale, to claim the winner’s share of US$2.25 million prize pot.
Bringing a science experiment to the racetrack, the inaugural race pushed the boundaries of autonomous technology while adding entertainment value to extreme sports at an unprecedented scale. A2RL drew over 10,000 spectators at the circuit and captured the attention of over 600,000 online viewers in just 12 hours.
Organized by ASPIRE, a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi’s Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC), A2RL fuses extreme autonomous racing and AI to accelerate the global development of autonomous systems and technologies.
Following months of meticulous preparation spent refining driving AI algorithms in simulations, A2RL’s customized Dallara Super Formula SF23 cars tested the limits of human ingenuity and AI capability.
Each team utilized an identical Super Formula race car – the fastest open-wheel race car in the world after Formula One- adapted for autonomous racing by the Technology Innovation Institute (TII), a sister company of ASPIRE.
Teams faced a complex task in coding. From understanding grip levels, managing tire temperatures, predicting opponent movements, performing successful overtakes, and operating the SF23 right at the limit of grip, the AI needed to perform all the things that racing drivers do intuitively. Additionally, with four autonomous cars racing on the track simultaneously, it marked a world-first attempt that added another layer of challenge.
In a last-lap shootout, the German outfit TUM snatched first place in a daring overtake when front-running Italian team UNIMORE 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, ATRC, and Strategic Research & Advanced Technology Affairs Advisor to the UAE President.
