The Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League (A2RL) conducted its first manned vehicle test outside the UAE, with Japanese driver Noda Juju at the wheel in Italy.
The 18-year-old will be putting the Super Formula SF23 car through its paces at Imola, allowing engineers to collect data on vehicle dynamics, GPS trajectory and human driver behaviour that will form the basis of all future autonomous races.
The first round of the A2RL took place at Yas Marina Circuit earlier this year, with teams competing for a multi-million dollar prize after extensive testing and development with the help of former F1 driver Daniil Kvyat.
Three days of testing will take place in Imola and Vallelunga, also in Italy, in the coming days, with Noda, who currently races in Super Formula, taking charge of the tests in his new development role as engineers evaluate how the AI vehicles perform under human control in unknown environments.
Noda said: “I am very excited about the upcoming tests at Imola and Vallelunga with A2RL.
“The SF23 is a very familiar platform so it will be interesting to see how it performs on this iconic Italian track.
Noda is testing the SF23 at Imola to gather data for the A2RL
“I’m looking forward to using my race car experience to help with testing and data gathering.
“Development driving of autonomous vehicles is an entirely new experience for me and I can’t wait to start working with the A2RL team.”
A2RL CEO Stefan Timpano concluded: “Imola and Vallelunga should provide some interesting technical details that could pave the way for international racing and even a world series.”
“I am looking forward to working with Juju, who has great familiarity with the SF23 through his Super Formula racing experience.
“The data we collect in Italy will be invaluable in preparing our cars and teams for future AI-powered races.”