Abu Dhabi’s A2RL to make international debut at Imola in September 2026

The Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League (A2RL) will stage its first international race on 5 September 2026 at Italy’s Imola Circuit, marking the championship’s expansion beyond the UAE and bringing up to five fully autonomous race cars to one of motorsport’s most technically demanding venues.

Organized by ASPIRE, the grand challenges arm of Abu Dhabi’s Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC), the league has evolved from an AI testing platform into a competitive autonomous racing series. The Imola event follows two seasons at Yas Marina Circuit and marks the championship’s first international round before the 2026 season concludes in Abu Dhabi.

The race will feature fully autonomous vehicles based on the Dallara Super Formula SF23 chassis. Reigning champion TUM (Germany) will compete alongside Italy’s Unimore Racing and PoliMOVE, which secured their places through performances during the 2025 season. UAE-based Kinetiz and Germany’s Constructor Racing will compete in qualifying events ahead of the race weekend to secure the remaining grid spots.

Faisal Al Bannai, Secretary General of the Advanced Technology Research Council, said the international debut reflects the UAE’s ambition to advance autonomous mobility by testing AI technologies under real-world, high-performance conditions.

Stephane Timpano, CEO of ASPIRE, said Imola represents an important milestone in the league’s ambition to establish the world’s first international championship for fully autonomous race cars, adding that the circuit’s heritage makes it an ideal venue for the series’ first overseas event.

Since its launch in 2024, A2RL has expanded from a four-car demonstration race into a six-car championship featuring wheel-to-wheel autonomous racing at speeds exceeding 250km/h. The league has also introduced a Human vs AI competition, with the performance gap between autonomous systems and professional drivers narrowing from 10 seconds in 2024 to 1.58 seconds during the 2025 season.

Imola, home to the European Le Mans Series, is known for its elevation changes, narrow racing lines and limited run-off areas. ASPIRE said the circuit will test autonomous systems’ ability to manage grip, traffic, positioning and overtaking through real-time AI decision-making.

Alessandro Tucci, Executive Director of the House of Grand Challenges at ASPIRE, said the circuit provides an ideal environment to test autonomous racing under demanding conditions, where precision and control are essential.

Ahead of the race, teams will prepare through A2RL’s Sim Sprint virtual program, running from 19 May to 17 July across digital versions of Yas Marina Circuit, the A2RL Autodrome, Suzuka, and Imola, before concluding on Yas Marina’s North Circuit. The platform enables teams to develop and validate autonomous-driving algorithms, building on more than 5,000 hours of simulation testing conducted during the previous season.

Ahead of Imola, A2RL has engaged Italy’s motorsport and academic communities through Motor Valley Fest and roadshows at the University of Bologna, the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, and Politecnico di Milano. The series will return to Yas Marina Circuit for the 2026 season finale.