The Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League (A2RL) has conducted its first-ever manned vehicle testing outside the United Arab Emirates, with Japanese driver Juju Noda at the wheel in Italy.
The 18-year-old put the Super Formula SF23 machine through its paces at Imola, allowing engineers to gather data on vehicle dynamics, GPS trajectories and human driver behaviour that will lay the groundwork for all future autonomous races.
Earlier this year, the first round of the A2RL featuring autonomous cars took place at the Yas Marina Circuit as teams battled for a share of the multi-million-dollar prize pool following extensive testing and development with help from former Formula 1 driver, Daniil Kvyat.
Three days of testing will now take place across Imola and Vallelunga, also in Italy, with Noda, who currently races in Super Formula, set to conduct the running in her new development role as engineers evaluate how the AI vehicle performs under human control in an unfamiliar environment.
Noda said: “I am very excited about the upcoming testing at Imola and Vallelunga with A2RL.
“The SF23 is a very familiar platform, so it will be interesting to see how it performs on these iconic Italian tracks.
“I’m looking forward to using my experience with the race car to help guide testing and data collection.
“Development driving for an autonomous car is an entirely new experience for me and I can’t wait to get started with the A2RL team.”
Stephane Timpano, CEO of A2RL, concluded: “Imola and Vallelunga should provide us with some interesting technical detail and – potentially – pave the way for overseas races and a global series.
“We are looking forward to working with Juju, who has become very familiar with the SF23 through her Super Formula racing.
“The data we collect in Italy will be invaluable in preparing the cars and the teams for future AI-powered races.”
