UAE’s Kinetix clinched victory at Europe’s first driverless race in Imola.
The Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League (A2RL) staged five self‑driving single‑seaters on 5 September as part of the ACI Racing Weekend. Italy’s Unimore secured pole and posted the fastest lap of 1 minute 40 seconds, while Germany’s PoliMOVE recorded a top speed of 252.3 km/h.
When Unimore suffered a technical glitch, its speed fell dramatically. PoliMOVE was unable to react in time and collided with the Italian car, eliminating both. Kinetix inherited the lead and maintained it to the finish line, followed by Germany’s Constructor Racing, PoliMOVE in third and Unimore in fourth. The reigning champions, German team TUM, withdrew after a formation‑lap issue and finished fifth.
Software decides the outcome
All five cars share an identical EAV‑25 platform built on the Super Formula Dallara SF23 chassis, weighing about 690 kg and constructed from bio‑composite materials. Each vehicle carries a 15‑sensor suite of GPS, LiDAR, cameras and radar, meaning no team enjoys a power or tyre edge. The race therefore hinged on the AI code that interprets data, plans lines and makes split‑second decisions.
“Imola put that approach to the test, with five autonomous cars navigating the uncertainty and pressure of a live race,” said H.E. Faisal al Bannai, Secretary General of the Advanced Technology Research Council. He described Kinetix’s win as an important moment for the UAE and highlighted the broader lessons about reliability, resilience and real‑time decision‑making.
“Imola put that approach to the test, with five autonomous cars navigating the uncertainty and pressure of a live race.”
— H.E. Faisal al Bannai, Secretary General, Advanced Technology Research Council
Preparing for the toughest track
Imola’s narrow racing lines, elevation changes and limited runoff offered a stark contrast to the controlled environment of Yas Marina. Teams endured nine days of physical testing in rain and hail, fitted a wet‑weather kit and logged more than 5,000 simulation hours in 2025 using digital twins of Yas Marina, Suzuka and Imola.
Kinetix Team Principal Omar Hanif Alqassim called the result “a very proud moment,” adding that representing the UAE on an international stage reinforces the nation’s commitment to autonomous technology.
“a very proud moment… representing the UAE on an international stage.”
— Omar Hanif Alqassim, Team Principal, Kinetix