A team including staff and students from Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Team Kinetiz, won an autonomous car race in Italy on Sept 5 at the Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League (A2RL), beating four other competitors on its third attempt. The team comprised members from NTU, United Arab Emirates tech firm K2 and autonomous systems specialist Alp Autonomy. In the inaugural A2RL race in 2024, Team Kinetiz placed sixth in a pre-qualifying round and failed to make the final four; in the 2025 race it won the Sim-Sprint virtual racing event and placed fourth in the grand final. NTU team lead Holden Li, an associate professor from the university’s School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, said there was no “magic algorithm” behind the win, attributing it to data from previous experiences and refined algorithms, adding that “these three consecutive years of accumulated experience made an enormous difference.” The team triumphed despite the 2026 circuit’s elevation changes and bumps, unlike the mostly flat Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. The 4.9km-long Imola Circuit in northern Italy hosted the A2RL for the first time, with narrow racing lines and difficult overtaking zones. Race organiser Aspire said Imola tested how autonomous systems manage grip, traffic, positioning and overtaking under sustained pressure. Teams race identical driverless cars with cameras, lidar, radar and a navigation system,