AI Racecar Bests Human-Driven Lap Record at Autodromo di Modena

Indy Autonomous Challenge AV-24, piloted by Unimore Racing’s AI driver, sets a new track lap record—beating previous record set by a Lamborghini Huracán STO

MODENA, Italy — (June 23, 2025) — The Indy Autonomous Challenge (IAC), a global university competition advancing autonomous technologies through high-speed racing, has once again made history. For the first time ever, an autonomous vehicle has set a track record faster than one achieved by a human driver. The milestone was achieved at Italy’s Autodromo di Modena, where an IAC AV-24 racecar, engineered by IAC and piloted by AI driving software from Unimore Racing, surpassed the previous lap record held by a Lamborghini Huracán STO.

The new record was set during the final day of Motor Valley Fest, an annual event celebrating the past and future of Italy’s most iconic automotive region, home to Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini, and other global racing legends, with more than 70000 attendees for the 2025 edition. The AV-24 completed its lap in 58.3 seconds, besting the previous record of 59.3 seconds set in 2022 by the Huracán on the short layout of the Modena racetrack.

Unimore Racing, composed of students and researchers from the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, is one of 10 university teams from around the world competing in the Indy Autonomous Challenge. The team also finished first at the IAC’s first multi-car autonomous exhibition race held in January 2025 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway during CES® 2025. With strong local roots, they relished the opportunity to showcase their high-speed AI performance in front of a hometown crowd.

From a mechanical standpoint, the AV-24 is not optimized for peak racing performance on a road course, it features a spec Dallara chassis, limited aerodynamic enhancements, and modest power compared to the supercar-grade Huracán. Despite this, the AI-piloted AV-24 prevailed, and IAC and the Unimore team are confident they can go even faster.

“With fresh tires alone, we could’ve cut the time by another couple of seconds,” said Ayoub Raji, Co-Lead of team Unimore Racing]. “And with a road-course aero kit, we can go even faster. We were also eyeing the full-layout track record of 1:08.5, set by a lightweight FX3-series formula car. That was within reach too, we just ran out of time. Hopefully we’ll be back.”

“Moravec's paradox states that everything that is easy for humans is difficult to automate, and vice versa. In many tasks, AI has already surpassed humans, while in others, we are still far away, especially in the robotics domain. To date, no one has demonstrated the superiority of AI in the racing field. The record we achieved together with Indy Autonomous Challenge is a step in this direction. It makes us proud to have achieved it in the very heart of the Motor Valley.” Prof. Marko Bertogna, Team Principal of team Unimore Racing and Full Professor at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia.

“This milestone shows how far our autonomous systems have come in a short time, thanks to the ingenuity of our university teams and the power of collaboration,” said Paul Mitchell, President of Indy Autonomous Challenge and Aidoptation BV. “Our goal has never been to compete with human drivers, but to push the boundaries of what’s possible with AI behind the wheel. Achievements like this demonstrate the potential of autonomy in complex, high-speed environments, and that progress benefits everyone.”

This achievement at Autodromo di Modena marks a new chapter for the Indy Autonomous Challenge and its university teams. It reinforces the value of high-speed competition as a proving ground for autonomous innovation—and sets the stage for continued advancements across racing, safety systems, and the future of mobility.

About Indy Autonomous Challenge

Indy Autonomous Challenge (IAC) is dedicated to advancing autonomous technologies through high-speed racing. IAC engineers and constructs the IAC AV-24 racecar and organizes competitions among 10 university-affiliated teams from around the world, challenging them to program AI drivers to pilot the fully autonomous racecars. IAC aims to create a platform for the development and real-world validation of physical AI systems, driving innovation in the safety and performance of autonomous vehicles. Founded in 2019, IAC has been based in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. In February 2025, IAC established a commercial spin-out company, Aidoptation BV, headquartered at Droneport in Sint-Truiden, Belgium. Aidoptation seeks to transition the learnings and technology of IAC’s autonomous racing program to advance safe, secure, sustainable, high-speed autonomous mobility on highways.

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About Unimore Racing:

●       LinkedIn: UnimoreRacing

●       Instagram: @Unimoreracing

Contacts

Indy Autonomous Challenge Media Contact:
Allison Fried - IAC@onemorevolley.com