The lights went green, the algorithms kicked in, and for the first time ever, A2RL hosted a full-scale SIM Sprint Race at Yas Marina Circuit. It was an event that marked a major milestone in the evolution of autonomous motorsport.
After an intense week of virtual testing, iteration, and qualifying, the final standings of the first-ever A2RL SIM Sprint have now been published. What unfolded was a full-blown, high-stakes test of AI, infrastructure, and endurance — all unfolding in the virtual realm.
This simulation experience was developed by Autonoma, whose digital twin technology brought Yas Marina Circuit to life in intricate detail and enabled true-to-life virtual racing conditions.
What We Achieved
From the outset, the SIM Sprint was designed to be more than a competition. It was a development and validation platform — and it delivered.
- First-ever 12-lap autonomous multi-agent sim race on a digital grade1 circuit
- 7-car Grand Final (originally scheduled for 6), demonstrating platform flexibility able to host the largest cloud-based online autonomous sim race to date
- 5 of 7 cars finished all laps, proving system robustness and ability of the teams to run consistently. 2 DNF due to finding and pushing past the limits of traction!
- Fastest lap of the week: 1:45.215 by Kinetiz (Kintsugi) - just 1 seconds off Daniil Kvyat's real-world SF23 time, with the autonomous team staying off all curbs and running with approximately less than 50 horsepower.
- Top speed of 258kph was achieved during the final
Technical and Operational Milestones
The first SIM race also helped validate several crucial systems behind the scenes:
- Sporting Regulations: Teams demonstrated strong understanding of the updated 2025 ruleset
- New Race Format: A major upgrade from 2024 — more challenging, more strategic, and far more engaging
- WildCard System: Successfully trialed, adding dynamic “second chance” entry opportunities for top-performing teams
- Cloud-Proofing & Direct Technology Transfer: First online simulation race hosted on AWS Cloud, using the full suite of real-world autonomous algorithms for localization, planning, control and prediction systems
A Testament to Collaboration and Innovation
As we review footage, lap data, and team strategies from this landmark event, one thing is clear: A2RL’s SIM Sprint is an effective proving ground for the building the competencies of both the teams and the organization.
Simon Sagmeister, Deputy Team Principal of TUM, put it best:
“Getting here was challenging. But now since we are here, I think it's of tremendous value to us all, especially from what we have learned already. Important information regarding reliability and robustness, interpreting flags. This is one of the best
development platforms we've ever had.”
We couldn’t agree more.
The road to October’s physical track sessions continues, with the season concluding on November 15 th for the Grand final — and it’s accelerating fast.
Written by Alexander Winkler
