2025 Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League

The 2025 season of the Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League began in 11 April 2025 in Abu Dhabi. This year marks the first multi-format season of the A2RL, racing both drones and self-driving cars. The venue of choice for the Car Race, set for 15 November 2025, is the Yas Marina Circuit, same as the previous year, while the Drone Race was held at the ADNEC Marina Hall. ^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]}

Background

Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League

The A2RL is an autonomous racing championship based in Abu Dhabi and organized by ASPIRE, part of the Advanced Technology Research Council. It is one of two active autonomous car racing championships, the second being the US-based Indy Autonomous Challenge. However, it was a shame fans were unable to follow the live stream on YouTube as promised. Unlike the IAC, which primarily focuses on time trials and simulated races, the A2RL's car races are closer to a standard grand prix formula race format. Both use Dallara-supplied racecars; the IAC uses the AV-24 chassis derived from Indy NXT's IL-15, while the A2RL chassis is designated EAV-24 and is derived from the SF-23 chassis used in Japanese Super Formula races. ^{[5] [6]}

Entrants

As of May 2025, the following teams have been confirmed to be part of the A2RL: ^{[7] [8] [9]}

2025 A2RL Car Race Entry List ^{[10] [11] [9]}

Team name	2024 time trial (qualifying)	2024 result	Notes
Technical University of Munich	P3	P1	2024 Champion
PoliMOVE	P1	DNF	2024 Pole-sitter
UNIMORE Racing	P2	DNF	2024 Fastest Lap
Constructor University	P4	P2
HUMDA Lab	P5	DNQ
Code19 Racing	P6	DNQ
Fly Eagle	P7	DNQ
Kinetiz	P8	DNQ	Failed to set a qualifying time in 2024
TGM Grand Prix/SEVRUS Japan	N/A	N/A	Rookie team
FR4IAV/Aladin Innovation	N/A	N/A	Rookie team
TII Racing	N/A	N/A	Rookie team; partner team

2025 A2RL Drone Race Entry List ^[12]

AI Team Name	DCL Team Name
Cyclone Lab	Cyclone Drone Racing
Starling	Raiden Racing
Code19 Racing	Spain Drone Team
FLYBY
Fly Eagle
KAIST
Fly for Future
CVAR-UPM
Kinetiz
Code19 Racing
MAVLAB

Drone race

2025 Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League Grand Prix
Race details
Date	12 April 2025 (2025-04-12)
Official name	2025 A2RL Autonomous drone race
Location	ADNEC Marina Hall, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Podium
First	Unnamed AI	MAVLAB
Second	Unnamed AI	TII Racing
Third	Unnamed AI	KAIST

Qualifying

Qualifying took place over an unspecified period of time ending on March 2025. 14 teams qualified. ^{[12] [13]}

Final podiums

Top 3 Classifications for the 2025 A2RL Drone Race ^[14]

Position	AI Grand Challenge	AI vs Human Challenge	Multi-drone race	Autonomous drag race
1	MAVLAB	MAVLAB	TII Racing	MAVLAB
2	TII Racing	Yuki Hashimoto (Raiden)	Not disclosed	Not disclosed
3	KAIST	Platon Cheremnykh (SDT)	Not disclosed	Not disclosed

Car race

2025 Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League Grand Prix
Race details
Date	15 November 2025 (2025-11-15)
Official name	2025 A2RL Autonomous car race
Location	Yas Marina circuit, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Course	Permanent racing facility
Course length	3.005 km
Distance	20 laps, 20.1 km (12.48 miles)
Scheduled distance	20 laps (20.1 km) or 30 minutes
Pole position
Driver	Hailey	Technical University of Munich
Time	12:34.621
Grid positions set by results of sprint
Fastest lap
Driver	Hailey	Technical University of Munich
Time	58.183 on lap 20
Podium
First	Hailey	Technical University of Munich
Second	Musa	TII Racing
Third	Eva	PoliMOVE

The main event was scheduled for 15 November 2025 at the Yas Marina Circuit. ^{[15] [16] [5] [17]}

Pre-season testing

Pre-season testing took place in early 2025. According to the organizers, over 300 terabytes of data were gathered and 1640 laps were logged between all teams. ^{[18] [19]}

SIM Sprint

As part of the build-up to the race, the SIM Sprint series is a series of simulated races involving at least one fictional circuit taking place in the Autoverse, a metaverse platform made by company Autonoma. ^{[20] [21]} In the future, it is expected that this act as a feeder series to the A2RL Car Race. ^{[22] [23] [24] [5]}

SIM Sprint standings

Colour	Result
Gold	Winner
Silver	Second place
Bronze	Third place
Green	Points classification
Blue	Non-points classification
	Non-classified finish (NC)
Purple	Retired, not classified (Ret)
Red	Did not qualify (DNQ)
	Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ)
Black	Disqualified (DSQ)
White	Did not start (DNS)
	Withdrew (WD)
	Race cancelled (C)
Blank	Did not practice (DNP)
	Did not arrive (DNA)
	Excluded (EX)

SIM Sprint races

Round	Circuit	Pole	Winner	Fastest lap
1	Yas Marina	Not disclosed	Technical University of Munich	Kinetiz
2	Original circuit	Not disclosed	Kinetiz	Not disclosed
3	Suzuka	Not disclosed	Technical University of Munich	Not disclosed
4	Yas Marina	Not disclosed	Kinetiz	Not disclosed

SIM Sprint points system ^[25]

Position	P1	P2	P3	P4	P5	P6
Points	25	18	15	12	10	8

SIM Sprint points standings ^[25]

Pos.	Team	YAS1	ORI	SUZ	YAS2	Points
1	Kinetiz	P5 F	P1	P2	P1	78
2	Technical University of Munich	P1	P4	P1	P4	74
3	UNIMORE Racing	P4	P3	P3	P3	57
4	PoliMOVE		P2	P4	P2	48
5	TII Racing	P3	P5	P5	P6	43
6	Constructor University	P2	P6		P5	36
7	HUMDA Lab	P6				8

Qualifying

Qualifying took place in October 2025. The top 6 in the 3-kilometer short-course time trials qualified for the main race. ^[26]

Qualifying report

Once the qualifying cars were determined, there were a pair of sprint races to set the grid for the main event. One race was disputed by the top three qualifying teams and determined the pole-sitting car and the other two cars' starting positions, the other was disputed among the teams that scored P4 though P6 in the time trials and determined the remaining grid positions. ^[26]

Qualifying results

Qualifying time trial results ^[27]

Position	Car name	Team	Session 1		Session 2		Session 3		Session 4
			Lap time	Avg. Speed (kph)	Lap time	Avg. Speed (kph)	Lap time	Avg. Speed (kph)	Lap time	Avg. Speed (kph)
P1	Gianna	UNIMORE Racing	2:04.836	86.7	1:14.691	144.8	1:07.590	160.1	1:01.855	174.9
P2	Musa	TII Racing	1:36.477	112.1	1:09.699	155.2	1:14.182	145.8	1:03.642	170.0
P3	Hailey	Technical University of Munich	1:37.456	111.0	1:28.979	121.6	1:04.003	169.0	1:04.961	166.5
P4	Eva	PoliMOVE	1:39.774	108.4	1:14.199	146.0	1:20.016	135.2	1:04.119	168.7
P5	Sparkz	Kinetiz	2:17.666	78.6	1:36.298	112.3	1:24.130	128.6	1:04.570	167.5
P6	Constructor AI	Constructor University	1:36.981	111.5	1:29.874	120.4	1:26.535	125.0	1:07.060	161.3
Qualifying cut-off: 1:07.060 (Constructor AI)
P7	Sakura	TGM Grand Prix/SEVRUS Japan	2:08.068	84.5	1:24.495	128.0	1:19.790	135.6	No time set	N/A
P8	Juliette	FR4IAV/Aladin Innovation	1:33.272	116.0	No time set	N/A	No time set	N/A	No time set	N/A
P9	Maveric AI	Code19 Racing	1:42.760	105.3	2:49.068	64.0	2:30.502	71.9	No time set	N/A
P10	R4PSON AI	HUMDA Lab/R4PSON	2:00.289	89.9	10:58.310	16.4	3:47.659	47.5	8:14.011	21.9
P11	Feiying	Fly Eagle	4:31.493	39.8	2:28.267	72.8	No time set	N/A	8:12.848	21.9

Sprint race results ^[28]

Race	Grid Pos.	Car name	Team	Race Time	Difference
1	P1	Hailey	Technical University of Munich	12:34.621	N/A
	P2	Gianna	UNIMORE Racing	12:36.183	+1.562
	P3	Sparkz	Kinetiz	12:56.106	+1 lap
2	P4	Musa	TII Racing	13:23.859	N/A
	P5	Eva	PoliMOVE	13:31.392	+7.533
	P6	Constructor AI	Constructor University	13:48.897	+25.038

Main race

Race report

At about 20:30, a humanoid waved the green flag from the back of the grid, signalling the start of safety checks before the formation lap. It was a rolling start.

On Lap 1, just a few corners after crossing the line, Hailey (for team Technical University of Munich, or TUM) and Gianna (for team Unimore) quickly pushed out front, with what the commentators described as “aggressive” from Gianna.

On Lap 2 at Turn 6, Gianna dives up the inside of Hailey to take the lead. Hailey takes evasive action and slows down slightly.

At the end of Lap 6/start of Lap 7, both Gianna and Hailey lap slow-moving Constructor AI (for Constructor University), now 35 seconds behind Eva (team PoliMove). Gianna was slowed down by Constructor AI, causing Hailey to close the gap to Gianna.

On Lap 12, while trying to lap Constructor AI again and simultaneously defend from Hailey, Gianna rear-ended Constructor AI, causing Gianna to run into the barriers at Turn 1 and both cars to retire. This brought out a red flag, followed by a Full Course Yellow.

During the Full Course Yellow, on Lap 13, Turn 5, Sparkz (for team Kinetiz) span, presumably from cold tyre temperatures (a big concern after 2024’s race), and dropping from second place down to fourth and last of the remaining cars.

On Lap 15, the green flag was shown, and the race was resumed.

On Lap 20, Hailey took the chequered flag and won the race for team TUM, as they did in 2024. Musa for TII Racing came second, over 47 seconds behind Hailey. Eva for PoliMove finished third.

Final race classification

Source: ^[28]

Final position	Time/Ret.	No.	Car name	Team	Starting grid	Notes
P1	20 laps	33	Hailey	Technical University of Munich	P1	Fastest Lap
P2	+47.006	71	Musa	TII Racing	P4
P3	+55.037	5	Eva	PoliMove	P5
P4	+1 lap	3	Sparkz	Kinetiz	P3
DNF	Lap 12	6	Gianna	Unimore	P2	Retired (hit Constructor; then hit barrier)
DNF	Lap 10	8	Constructor AI	Constructor University	P6	Retired (sudden stop; collision damage)

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