Kinetiz’s Omar Hanif Alqassim’s team secured the first international victory of the Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League at Imola when the UAE car crossed the finish line ahead of its rivals.
Imola Joins the A2RL Circuit Calendar
The third season of the Autonomous Racing League has expanded beyond Yas Marina to the legendary Imola asphalt. Five Pro Teams – Polimove (Italy), Unimore Racing (Italy), Kinetiz (UAE), Constructor University (Germany) and the reigning champions TUM (Germany) – demonstrated that the series’ autonomous technology can handle any track.
Rapid Learning Under Tight Conditions
Teams had only ten days to prepare for the new circuit. Unlike the isolated testing at Yas Marina, the Imola event ran alongside other car categories, so the autonomous cars shared the pit lane with human‑piloted vehicles for the first time. To compensate for the limited on‑track time, A2RL supplied each team with a virtual copy of Imola for simulator training, allowing engineers to iron out logistics and safety scenarios before the race.
Race Day: Challenges and Collisions
Opening laps highlighted the differing personalities coded into the cars. TUM led early but retired after a brake issue forced an unsuccessful reset. Among the remaining four, Unimore Racing and Polimove contested the lead, while Constructor University and Kinetiz trailed. A sensor failure on the Unimore car triggered safety protocols, stopping it before the final corner. Polimove, following too close, could not avoid the stalled vehicle and the two collided, eliminating both from the event.
Kinetiz Claims the Checkered Flag
Only two cars raced until the finish: Constructor University’s turbo‑charged machine could not keep pace with the UAE’s Kinetiz, whose odds were lifted by slick handling and optimized strategy. Omar Hanif Alqassim, the team principal, praised the win as a “proud moment” that showcased the UAE’s capacity in autonomous technology and positioned the country on the global stage.
Comments From League Leaders
Josh Roles, A2RL’s head of operations, noted that virtual testing gave teams a crucial advantage. “We were all well prepared for the first race on a new circuit,” he said. Alessandro Tucci, executive director of ASPIRE, emphasized that performance stemmed from over 5,000 hours of simulation and racing in 2025, while Stephane Timapano, ASPIRE’s CEO, highlighted the data gained for the next R&D stage.
Strategic Lessons for Autonomous Systems
Insights from Imola extend beyond motorsport. H.E Faisal Al Bannai, adviser to the UAE president for advanced research, remarked that the event “revealed reliability, resilience and real‑time decision‑making under pressure,” reinforcing the UAE’s ambition to accelerate autonomous development.
Full coverage of the Imola race is available on the A2RL YouTube channel.
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