Abu Dhabi: A2RL will bring the world’s biggest autonomous car race to Abu Dhabi on November 15 with its Grand Final, where 11 international teams will compete at the forefront of robotics, autonomy, and AI for a $2.25 million prize pool.
The second season of the Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League, 18 months in development, has narrowed the field to six top-performing teams, all of whom earned their place in the Grand Final through a demanding qualification process.
Tickets for the Yas Marina Circuit event have once again hit the full-capacity limit of the main grandstand, drawing both motorsport enthusiasts and tech followers eager to witness a one-of-a-kind AI racing spectacle.
This year’s Grand Final marks a historic milestone, becoming the first event to feature six fully autonomous racecars competing wheel-to-wheel. The final lineup — TUM, Unimore, Kinetiz, TII Racing, PoliMOVE, and Constructor, was selected through rigorous October qualifiers.
Representing Germany, Italy, and the UAE, these teams will contest a 20-lap multi-car race to determine the A2RL Season 2 Champion. Defending champions TUM secured pole position after winning a Multi-Car Qualification sprint against Unimore.
In addition to the Grand Final, the five remaining teams, RAPSON, Code 19, Fly Eagle, FR4IAV, and TGM Grand Prix, will take part in the Silver Race, giving them the chance to stretch their algorithms further and finalize their overall season rankings.
Pre-season testing has witnessed unprecedented performance improvements, with the gap between human and AI racing narrowing. Notably, Italy’s Unimore became the first team to surpass a benchmark lap time previously set by a human race driver during qualification.
This escalating battle between machine precision and human instinct will be showcased live on race day, as reigning champions TUM face former Formula One driver Daniil Kvyat in A2RL’s second Human vs AI exhibition, an anticipated showdown following multiple record-breaking qualifying runs.
The evening program begins with a Supercar Parade Laps display by Group 63, building momentum ahead of the autonomous race. This will be followed by the A2RL STEM Competition awards, featuring 140 students from all seven emirates who raced AWS DeepRacer 1/18th-scale autonomous cars in a competition modeled after A2RL.
A world-class Fan Zone will elevate the event experience, offering robotics demonstrations, interactive tech activities, games, live entertainment, and family-friendly attractions, bringing the excitement of autonomous innovation beyond the racetrack.
The race will be broadcast globally on November 16 at 3 pm GST via Abu Dhabi Media Network, StarzPlay, Motorsport TV, and the official A2RL YouTube channel. Audiences can also immerse themselves using A2RL’s live VR platform, which provides real-time access to the track, car telemetry, and high-speed action.
A2RL’s Season 2 is supported by SteerAI, with key partners including du; official partners AWS and Abu Dhabi Mobility; supporters Wio and Castore; technical partners PACETEQ, Live in Five, Meccanica 42, and Vislink; and event partners Abu Dhabi Gaming, Miral, and the UAE Cybersecurity Council.
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