It’s silver for Constructor! Constructor University racing team takes second at A2RL European premiere in Imola.

The Constructor University autonomous racing team finished second in the first-ever A2RL, Autonomous Racing League, race held on European soil. The team around Team Principal Ilya Shimchik and Constructor University Professor Andreas Birk sped its way to a podium finish on one of motorsports’ most-demanding circuits, the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola, Italy. Constructor started fifth out of five team, finishing second before a full house on September 5, 2026. The second-place finish matches its previous best A2RL result from the inaugural race back in 2024. A2RL returns home to Abu Dhabi in October for the season finale.

A2RL, the Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League, made its international debut this past weekend in Imola, Italy. The Constructor University racing team was one of five teams to compete on the storied circuit alongside TUM (Germany), Unimore (Italy), PoliMOVE (Italy) and Kinetiz (UAE). “The progress that our team and the sport continue to make is incredible to see,” said Andreas Birk, Professor of Robotics at Constructor University. "This weekend’s race gave European and international audiences a first-hand look at just how much is demanded of the autonomous technology piloting the race cars.”  

Team Principal, Ilya Shimchik was proud of the result given how different the Imola circuit is to the league’s “home track” in Abhu Dhabi. “The Imola circuit is incredibly demanding. It is narrow with lots of corners, climbs, and drops, which makes overtaking extremely difficult,” Shimchik said. “In spite of the challenges this track presents, the race stayed open until the end.”  

How far – and fast – can AI go?

The difficult track conditions cannot be understated. Changes in elevation, tight racing lines, and tricky overtaking zones were coupled with technically-demanding corners and tight margins that tested the capabilities of autonomous systems to manage grip, traffic, positioning and overtaking in high pressure, real-time conditions.

“Our AI systems have to monitor and react to every detail – no matter how minute – from low-level control aspects like handling the temperature-dependent traction of the wheels, to high-level decision-making like reacting to unexpected events or deciding if, when, and how to overtake,” explained Prof. Birk.  

Each team in A2RL races using the same vehicle, a Dallara Super Formula (EAV24) with an internal combustion engine. The driver is replaced by a computer that processes radar, LiDAR and camera data in real time to build a picture of its surroundings, plan the racing line and use electric actuators to steer, throttle and brake. Lap times during Saturday’s race peaked at 1:37, just seven seconds short of the average F1 lap time (1:30) for the track.

The race put on full display just how fast physical AI can go, and how far it has come. Two years ago at the first-ever A2RL race, the human reference driver, a former F1 pilot, beat the A2RL car lap times by over ten seconds. As of this weekend’s event, that difference has been slashed to less than one second.  

Saturday's podium finish gives the Constructor team fresh confidence as they turn their attention to the A2RL season finale in October, with the ultimate goal of claiming top spot. "Our performance at Imola proved that we are at the leading edge of the pack, and have a very real opportunity to take first place in Abu Dhabi," said Shimchik.