Overview
- The Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League will stage a five‑car race at Imola on Saturday, September 5, in what is its first multi‑car event held outside Yas Marina Circuit.
- Five teams — TUM, Kinetiz, Unimore, Constructor and Polimove — use identical EAV‑25 cars derived from the Dallara Super Formula SF23 while each team runs its own AI; teams qualified after nine days of testing with Unimore the fastest.
- A2RL says its fastest autonomous system has closed the gap to pro drivers from roughly 10 seconds to about 1.58 seconds and that lap times have reached within roughly 0.85 seconds of a human benchmark.
- Imola’s elevation changes, narrow lines, limited run‑off and variable surfaces are a tougher test for the software and sensors, so the series fitted a rainproofing kit that seals camera hatches, adds cockpit cover seals, and fits rubber 3D‑printed camera sleeves and sharkfin louvres to protect vents.
- Organisers present the event as a step in international expansion and technical validation rather than a driver replacement, saying the data and methods could aid tyre management and safety in conventional racing and that the series will return to Yas Marina for its 2026 finale.