A2RL Season 2 Delivers World’s First Six-Car Autonomous Grand Final In Abu Dhabi

Six fully driverless racecars took to Yas Marina Circuit for the Grand Final of the Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League’s (A2RL) Season 2 on November 15, 2025, with the event setting a record as the largest autonomous car race in the world.   

A total of 11 teams from around the world competed in this year’s edition of A2RL, which featured a US$2.25 million prize pool. Germany’s TUM came in first place and thus held onto the championship title it had won last year; the UAE’s TII Racing came in second place, followed by Italy’s PoliMOVE in third.  

Germany's TUM after winning A2RL Season 2.

In a statement, HE Faisal Al Bannai, Adviser to the UAE President and Secretary General of the Advanced Technology Research Council, who envisioned A2RL, said, “A2RL shows what happens when bold ambition meets scientific discipline. It is more than a race—it is a testbed accelerating the future of autonomous systems, while building public trust in the technologies that will soon move through our cities, skies, and industries. What unfolded on track reflects the power of global talent, rigorous research, and the UAE’s conviction that breakthroughs happen faster when you invite the world to innovate with you.” 

Stephane Timpano, CEO of ASPIRE, the ATRC entity driving A2RL, added, “Congratulations to TUM on a remarkable win. This Grand Final proved exactly why A2RL exists: to push the boundaries of autonomous technology through real competition. In just 18 months, teams have gone from standing still to delivering human-beating lap times and mastering complex overtakes—progress that can take years. By combining virtual SIM Sprints with extensive real-world testing, they’ve unlocked capabilities that will influence far more than racing. My thanks to all eleven teams for showing what true innovation under pressure looks like.” 

The A2RL Grand Final saw the attendance of HH Sheikh Zayed bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, Vice-Chairman of the Abu Dhabi International Marine Sports Club and Chairman of the UAE Marine Sports Federation, and HE Faisal Al Bannai, Adviser to the UAE President and Secretary General of the Advanced Technology Research Council, among others.

A2RL this year also featured a “Human vs AI” showdown between former F1 star Daniil Kvyat and TUM’s autonomous car HAILEY.  Kvyat marked his best lap at 57.57 seconds, while HAILEY recorded its best lap at 59.15 seconds. 

Kvyat said, “Looking back to when A2RL development first began a couple of years ago, with perhaps minutes between a human driver and the AI car, down to 10 seconds in our first showcase last year, and now we are seeing performance within fractions of a second, the technology progress is staggering. As a technology enthusiast and a racer, it’s fantastic to be a part of this development since the beginning. Being on track with an AI driver is unlike anything else, and it was fun to bring an exciting battle to the fans this evening.” 

A scene from the A2RL Season 2 Grand Final. 

This year’s edition of A2RL also staged a STEM Competition, which saw over 140 students from across the UAE participate in an educational program that culminated in racing DeepRacer 1/18th-scale autonomous cars, a mirror of the A2RL competition. UAE University won top honors in the University League, while SABIS - Ras Al Khaimah claimed the High Schools title.  

A2RL Season 2, which saw the attendance of over 8,000 spectators, was staged with the support of SteerAI, alongside leading partners du infra and AD Ports Group, official partners AWS and Abu Dhabi Mobility; official supporters WIO Bank PHSC, Exxon Mobil and Castore; technical partners PACETEQ, Live in Five, Meccanica 42, and Vislink; as well as event partners Abu Dhabi Gaming, Miral - Yas Island, and the UAE Cybersecurity Council. Inc. Arabia was a Media Partner for the event as well. 

All images courtesy A2RL.