The racing team from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has impressively reaffirmed its leading position in autonomous motorsport: At the Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League (A2RL) on the Yas Marina Circuit Formula 1 track, TUM Autonomous Motorsport secured victory in the world's largest autonomous multi-vehicle race. After the qualifying rounds, in which TUM had already claimed pole position, the team prevailed against five teams in a spectacular 20-lap final.
Sarra Chaouch-Şimşek / TUM The A2RL is considered the most advanced autonomous racing format in the world. Eleven teams from four nations competed to test the limits of AI and vehicle technology. With top speeds of up to 250 km/h and AI performance on a par with a professional racing driver for the first time, the event marked a milestone in the development of autonomous systems. As part of the event, the TUM team competed against former Formula 1 driver Daniil Kvyat as last year's winner. In the end, the autonomous TUM racer, with a lap time of 59.13 seconds, was only about 1.6 seconds behind its human rival, who clocked in at 57.5 seconds.
Simon Sagmeister, Team Principal TUM Autonomous Motorsport: "The overtaking maneuvers and the performance at the limit were the result of years of research and countless test kilometers. We are proud that we are not only keeping up, but actively shaping the future of motorsport."
Prof. Markus Lienkamp, Head of the Chair of Automotive Engineering: "This victory shows how far we have already taken the technology for autonomous driving. Our algorithms have not only demonstrated speed, but also strategic racing intelligence. This is a decisive step towards the vision of bringing autonomous systems safely and efficiently onto the road."
TUM President Prof. Thomas F. Hofmann congratulates the team on once again pushing the boundaries of what is possible: "The success of our team underlines the innovative strength of TUM. Autonomous racing is more than just a competition - it is a research laboratory under extreme conditions that will shape the mobility of tomorrow."
Strong interdisciplinary cooperation
The success of the TUM Racing Team is based on the close cooperation of several chairs: In addition to the Chair of Automotive Technology of Prof. Markus Lienkamp, the Chair of Automatic Control of Prof. Boris Lohmann, the Chair of Autonomous Vehicle Systems of Prof. Johannes Betz and 14 doctoral students played a key role. Together, the teams developed algorithms for highly dynamic driving maneuvers, robust control systems, and AI-based strategies for operating at the limits.
TUM always at the forefront
TUM has been a leader in autonomous motorsport for years. The team won the Indy Autonomous Challenge in the USA back in 2021 and has repeated this success several times, most recently at the Indy Autonomous Challenge @ CES in Las Vegas. TUM also won the premiere of the A2RL in 2024 - and now celebrates its second triumph in Abu Dhabi.
- Mobility as a focus at TUM
- TUM School of Engineering and Design
The A2RL is organized by ASPIRE, the innovation arm of the UAE's Advanced Technology Research Council. It is considered the world's largest platform for autonomous racing technology and offers prize money of 2.25 million US dollars.
