Abu Dhabi gets into pole position with ‘world’s largest autonomous racing league’

Dubai: To take place at the Yas Marina Circuit, this will be the first in a series of races featuring autonomous vehicles and mobility technologies. With a prize pool of $2.25 million, it will have the Dallara-built Super Formula cars, the usage of which has been enabled by Japan Race Promotion, Inc..

“The Super Formula cars are the fastest in the world, outside of Formula One and adequately equipped for autonomous racing,” said a statement from ASPIRE, which is closely associated with Abu Dhabi’s R&D strategy.

“A core goal of the Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League is to push the boundaries of autonomous mobility by hosting challenges to advance R&D in autonomous racing and AI,” the statement added.

Any findings will later on help ‘develop cutting-edge and low-risk solutions to significantly reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions’. And at the same time increase the ‘safety and performance standards of motorsports and commercial transportation’.

The Japan Race Promotion will provide Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League with exclusive access to the Dallara Super Formula car.

Viewers can experience head-to-head autonomous car racing, with live updates from AR and VR infographics and real-time displays shown on screen.

Faisal Al Bannai, Secretary-General, Advanced Technology Research Council, said: “Abu Dhabi is a rising hub for STEM empowerment and envisioning a decarbonized economy, which is why we are proud to launch the Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League.

“Autonomous racing is continuing to gather steam, given its significant potential to disrupt the future of transportation and mobility. We are proud to announce the Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League, where we will set new benchmarks for autonomous vehicles and help them pre-empt and prepare for unknown challenges as they become more mainstream.”

The League will also have an open development model, thus supporting faster progress and testing.’