The second season of Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League (A2RL) has been announced, with race day set for April 26, 2025, at Yas Marina Circuit. The next season of the autonomous racing series will host four new international teams as well as an upgraded Super Formula Emirates Autonomous Vehicle (EAV24).
Like the first season, competitors will race for a share of the US$2.25m prize pool. The inaugural race took place in April 2024 featuring teams from the USA, Germany, Switzerland, Hungary, Italy, Singapore, China, and the UAE.
The four new teams for season two are: AiPEX Racing from the USA, Aladin Innovation from France, SEVRUS Japan (TGM Grand Prix) from Japan, and a team from the UAE’s Technology Innovation Institute (TII). The new entrants will join the original teams from Season 1 in a rigorous simulation phase in November, with the race format for the upcoming season revealed following this.
During the simulation phase, teams will prove their ability to control their race cars under challenging conditions such as GPS failures and sensor malfunctions, and meet quality gateways to demonstrate overtaking skills. Teams must also showcase strategies for tire and brake warming, perform hot laps and race against virtual opponents. Only those who meet these standards will qualify for the race, which “promises to showcase some of the world’s brightest engineers and programmers, with these teams harnessing AI power to code autonomous race car”, A2RL said.
H.E. Faisal Al Bannai, adviser to the UAE president and secretary general of the Advanced Technology Research Council, said, “By pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with autonomous technology, we are accelerating innovation across sectors and positioning the UAE as a leader in the global AI landscape.”
The upgraded EAV24 race car features body panels made from sustainable bio-composite materials and a sleek design inspired by digital algorithms and AI-driven data patterns. The EAV24 will be at the center of the competition, where teams will battle to develop AI systems that can “outsmart and outperform their rivals on the trac”, A2RL said.
