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TUM Retains A2RL Crown After Backmarker Collision Reshapes Yas Marina Final

The Abu Dhabi competition doubled as a public testbed for high‑speed autonomy, with lap times near pro benchmarks; a backmarker crash decided the title.

Overview

  • Germany’s TUM won A2RL Season Two at Yas Marina, with TII Racing second and PoliMOVE third, in the world’s first six‑car fully autonomous Grand Final.
  • Unimore passed polesitter TUM early and led until it struck the slowing Constructor car mid‑corner, prompting a red flag and swinging the race back to TUM.
  • The Human vs AI showcase finished with an ~1.5–1.6 second gap, with some reports saying Daniil Kvyat crossed first and others noting the TUM autonomous car finished just ahead.
  • Season Two highlighted clear technical gains as autonomous lap times closed on professional benchmarks and multi‑car running proved far cleaner than the inaugural event.
  • The event, part of Abu Dhabi Autonomous Week, drew over 8,000 spectators and offered a $2.25 million prize pool, with organisers stressing A2RL’s role as an applied research platform.