An autonomous race of AI race cars was held in Abu Dhabi for the first time. This shows that Max Verstappen really doesn’t need to fear for his seat in Formula 1 for the next few years.
AI is the magic word of the moment. Not only on your smartphone, but also on the race track. Last weekend saw the first race of the Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League (A2RL), Formula 1’s new autonomous counterpart. A race without drivers such as Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton.
But is AI really the future of racing? Will we soon be encouraging an AI race car instead of drivers like Max Verstappen? That seems to be a while away, because it really was a terrible race.
AI racing vs. Formula 1 and Max Verstappen
Let’s start with the most positive point: the autonomous race cars started and finished. That may not sound like anything special, but during qualifying it did not look like it would happen. Many cars struggled to complete a lap.
In fact, the average AI race car managed to do more damage than Lance Stroll and Logan Sargeant. And that is remarkable to say the least, since Abu Dhabi has fairly large run-out lanes.
The race itself could also be called a reasonable horror. Not nearly the speeds of Formula 1 and Max Verstappen were achieved. Probably your grandmother on a mobility scooter is even faster than the cars. Nevertheless, the commentators try to make it a spectacle. That can also be said of the organizer, because at the end of the race there is a drone show and fireworks display, which is more spectacular than the race itself.
Not everything went according to plan
The AI race went over a total of eight laps and the number two finished at 27.224 seconds, the number three had to concede one lap and the number four even two laps.
To make matters worse, the number one even spun once during the race. Therefore, the number 2 could pass him, but numbers three and four could not, because a yellow flag was then waved. The AI cars were programmed not to overtake under yellow. They therefore stood still on the track.
In qualifying, the fastest car ran 2:00.653. By comparison, Max Verstappen set 1:23:445 during qualifying for the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
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Should Formula 1 and Max Verstappen fear AI?
Although we are laughing about the race now, we should keep in mind that this is only the first AI race. So there is still a lot of tweaking to be done. Still, it seems Max Verstappen really doesn’t have to worry about his job for now.
It is also questionable whether we can really cheer for AI. It is precisely the different drivers and driving styles that make Formula 1 so beautiful besides the technical aspect. Max Verstappen’s brutal overtaking, which is often on the edge, shows real class. AI can probably mimic that, but will want to do everything through the rules. You also won’t get a safety car anytime soon if everything worked perfectly.