en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League (A2RL) will make its international debut on September 5, 2026, at the Imola circuit in Italy, with up to five fully autonomous racing cars based on the Dallara Super Formula SF23 chassis competing simultaneously.

Organized by ASPIRE, under the Advanced Technology Research Council, A2RL initially served as a public testbed for testing artificial intelligence under extreme racing conditions and has evolved into a competitive racing series. The Imola race marks a significant step in the league's global expansion, following two seasons at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, before returning to the UAE capital for the 2026 season finale.

Defending champion TUM (Germany) will compete alongside Unimore Racing (Italy) and PoliMOVE (Italy) at Imola, with these three teams qualifying based on their 2025 season performance. Two additional teams, Kinetiz (UAE) and Constructor Racing (Germany), will participate in qualifying races before the race weekend to compete for the remaining grid positions.

Faisal Al Bannai, Secretary General of the Advanced Technology Research Council, stated that A2RL began in Abu Dhabi with the philosophy that the future of mobility must be tested under open, demanding, and extreme performance conditions. The international debut at Imola demonstrates how the UAE transforms R&D ambitions into a global technology platform accelerating progress in autonomous mobility. Stephane Timpano, CEO of ASPIRE, noted that bringing A2RL to Imola is a major milestone in building the world's first international championship for fully autonomous racing, with Imola's heritage and global standing making it a powerful stage for the first international race.

Over two seasons in Abu Dhabi, A2RL evolved from the world's first four-car autonomous race to a six-car final, with cars racing side-by-side at speeds exceeding 250 km/h. The league also became a platform for human versus AI competition, with the performance gap between autonomous systems and professional drivers narrowing from 10 seconds in 2024 to 1.58 seconds in 2025. A2RL has also built a global audience, solidifying Abu Dhabi's position as a hub for autonomous driving and AI innovation.

The Imola circuit, known for its elevation changes, narrow racing lines, limited runoff areas, and challenging overtaking zones, will test the autonomous systems' ability to manage grip, traffic flow, positioning, and overtaking. Alessandro Tucci, Executive Director of the ASPIRE Center of Excellence for Major Challenges, stated that Imola serves as a proving ground for top teams to showcase their capabilities, rewarding precision, control, and courage, allowing autonomous racing cars to demonstrate their strength under real pressure.

Before on-track testing in August, teams are preparing through the A2RL virtual racing ecosystem. The Sim Sprint series will run from May 19 to July 17, taking place in digital twin environments of the Yas Marina Circuit, A2RL Circuit, Suzuka Circuit, and Imola Circuit, concluding at the Yas Marina North Circuit. In the previous season, the series accumulated over 5,000 hours of collective simulation testing and racing time. This platform helps teams develop and validate algorithms before real races, addressing edge cases such as multi-car racing, overtaking, and accident response, preparing AI systems for speed and pressure.

Before the race, A2RL is engaging with the Italian motorsport, engineering, and academic communities through the Motor Valley Fest and a series of university roadshows, showcasing the A2RL Super Formula car in Modena and visiting the University of Bologna, the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, and the Polytechnic University of Milan to introduce the technology and pathways for teams, engineers, and programmers to join. This initiative reflects A2RL's mission to connect cutting-edge AI research with the next generation of talent.

After the Imola race, A2RL will return to the Yas Marina Circuit to conclude the 2026 season, bringing the championship full circle from its birthplace to its first international race and back. Since 2024, the Yas Marina Circuit has been A2RL's home and benchmark development venue.

The 2026 season is supported by SteerAI, major partners AD Ports and du Infra; official partners include AWS, the Abu Dhabi Mobility Authority, and Abu Dhabi Esports; official supporters include HP and Castore; technical partners include PACETEQ and Live in Five.