IMOLA, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM – 03rd Sep, 2026) The Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League (A2RL) is preparing to make its debut outside the capital, Abu Dhabi, this Saturday at Italy’s Imola Circuit, one of the world’s most famous and challenging racing tracks. Five autonomous race cars based on the Dallara Super Formula platform will compete, including Kinetiz, a team from the United Arab Emirates.
CEO of ASPIRE, the innovation acceleration arm of the Advanced Technology Research Council of Abu Dhabi (ATRC), told the Emirates news Agency (WAM) on the sidelines of preparations for the race that holding an A2RL autonomous racing competition at Italy’s Imola Circuit marks a historic milestone for the league. It is the first time that its official multi-car competition will be held outside Abu Dhabi, reflecting the league’s ambition to become a leading global platform for autonomous motorsport.
He said that being at Imola represents both a great honour and a major responsibility, given the circuit’s historic and exceptional standing in motorsport. He stressed that selecting one of the most famous and influential circuits in the history of racing and Formula 1 to host the league’s first international race outside Abu Dhabi carries significant implications for the project’s future ambitions.
He explained that A2RL has undertaken extensive preparations for this milestone, drawing on the expertise and knowledge developed during previous seasons in Abu Dhabi in collaboration with the participating teams. He expressed confidence in the ability of the teams and technologies involved to deliver a strong competitive performance in their first international test on a new circuit that differs significantly from Yas Marina Circuit.
He added that the league’s strategy since its launch has been based on expanding beyond the UAE and taking the autonomous racing experience onto the international stage. He noted that the Imola race represents a practical step toward achieving this goal, as well as a new phase in the development of the championship and the strengthening of its global presence.
He emphasised that the Italian circuit will provide a genuine test of the capabilities of the teams and autonomous systems, given its demanding competitive nature and a track that leaves little room for error.
He explained that having five teams compete at Imola represents an advanced challenge for artificial intelligence technology and its ability to make decisions and interact with other cars within fractions of a second under real racing conditions.
He noted that, in its third year, the league has reached an advanced stage of development following the successful staging of two races in Abu Dhabi, in addition to tests and trials conducted outside the UAE. He stressed that holding the race at Imola represents the first comprehensive international test bringing together multiple teams and autonomous cars in an actual competition outside the championship’s home base in Abu Dhabi.
He said that A2RL is now moving beyond merely demonstrating that the technology can function, and is gradually exploring new horizons for motorsport and examining how artificial intelligence and autonomous driving technologies can be harnessed to enhance vehicle performance and improve safety, both in racing and in the future of the mobility sector.
He emphasised that what the world is witnessing today at Imola is not merely an autonomous car race, but a new technological and sporting experiment that could help redefine the future of motorsport and mobility. He noted that taking the league outside Abu Dhabi for the first time sends a clear message to the world that the A2RL experience is ready to expand into broader international arenas, while Abu Dhabi retains its position as the championship’s home and central hub for this emerging global series.
More than a racing series, A2RL serves as a high-performance testing ground for technologies with applications beyond motorsport, including autonomous vehicles, industrial automation, and intelligent transportation systems. The UAE is among a small number of countries, alongside the United States and China, that have made meaningful progress in building human-scale test beds where these technologies can be developed, tested, and refined. The lessons learned in environments like A2RL help accelerate the broader adoption of autonomous systems across society.
