What do these things have in common: Take That’s new tour, paint drying and autonomous racing? That’s right! They’re the three things I’m least excited about watching in the known universe, and yet I’m sat on the Yas Marina start/finish straight, in Abu Dhabi, along with 10,000 other slightly confused members of the public, cheering on a bunch of racecars fitted with sensors and PCs where humans with otherworldly driving skills and gladiatorial mindsets normally sit. The leader has just spun out on an innocuous left hander, and the other three competitors have ground to a halt, line astern, behind it, unable to fathom going past anything car-shaped under a yellow flag. I’ve seen our autonomous future and it involves very long tailbacks on the motorway.
As a racing spectacle it is an unmitigated disaster. Later, when a team from the Technical University of Munich takes the chequered flag and lion’s share of the $2.25m prize pot (and most of the spectators have wandered off), a 3D drone show and military-grade firework display turn a blind eye to this... while reminding everyone of how many hundreds of millions the Abu Dhabi government has spent on this very public science experiment. It’s called A2RL, the Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League. And no, we don’t know where the 2 comes from either.
Except, the razzle dazzle of race night is just the glaze on the doughnut. The human effort that’s dragged it to this point and the grand idea going forward is far more compelling. We’ll get to that, but first let’s rewind three days – Stig has miraculously made it through customs and been released from his hardshell travel case, we have the Yas Marina F1 circuit to ourselves... and the chance to conduct a little science experiment of our own.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
THE PERFECT RECIPE FOR KARI FT. EUROGRIP
What happens when you do track days in the name of pushing the limits of a tyre
ROOKIE BLUES
Acosta Urged for Patience as KTM Chases Ducati
THE VALUE OF TIME
Christoph Grainger-Herr, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen
DJI Osmo Action 4
Being an automotive journalist, our job entails us to ride motorcycles of all kinds and not to forget, the life behind driving some exotic set of wheels as well.
WAR WORDS WORLDS
Indians might not have played a deciding role in the previous world wars but now, our participation is much more evident
XTREME MACHINE
Maserati's racing history is a patchwork of epic highs and long absences, so can the MCXtrema - a track only version of its latest supercar-bring back the glory days?
WET AND WILD
No doors, no roof, no boot, but at least there's a windscreen... Paul Horrell pulls on his waterproof trousers and takes the Nomad 2 for a spin
STREAM W0RKS
This is an MG. Yes, really. Turns out it's got form in streamliners too...just ask Stirling Moss
A map and a compass.
Dacia got a foothold in the UK with cheapness, now it wants toughness on its CV. Can the new Duster handle Morocco's heat and locate a Dakar team in the desert - no GPS allowed?
A RECKLESS DEVELOPMENT?
Farewell, V10, this is the new Lamborghini Temerario, a 907bhp V8 hybrid. A worthy Huracán successor, or a misstep from the Italian firm?