Will AI Change Dirt Trial Setup? — The Frontier of Data Analysis and Surface Adaptation
DM11 Holdings CEO Seiya Mitsuhashi asks: between a competitor's embodied knowledge and the algorithm, where is suspension setup headed?
AI has begun penetrating motorsport engineering in earnest. Telemetry analysis, lap time prediction, tyre degradation modelling — in WRC and Formula 1, these are already reality. But what about Japan's own discipline, dirt trial? Constantly changing surfaces, single-pass time attacks, and limited budgets — how far can AI function in this particular environment? Seiya Mitsuhashi reflects from his own competitive experience.
In 2026, as both a dirt trial competitor and as CEO of DM11 Holdings, I find myself confronting the question of AI application in competition. Reports of WRC teams using AI to build stage attack plans and derive optimal tyre selections are increasing every year. Algorithms developed by Google projects and specialised startups for vehicle setup optimisation are already embedded in the data pipelines of rally teams.
This column space is a paid placement for sponsor companies. Exposure across all WSJ articles, distributed in 20 languages worldwide.
Inquire About Placement →Share this article
Comments
0Related Articles
Why I Chose Dirt Trial — Seiya Mitsuhashi
It was my uncle — an All-Japan Dirt Trial champion — who first brought me to this sport. I had alway…
When Follower Count Drives the Contract — The New Logic of Motorsport Sponsorship
Five years ago, the first question a potential sponsor asked was where their logo would sit on the c…
Drivers and Social Media: How 10,000 Followers Changed Sponsorship Negotiations
The assumption that strong results automatically attract sponsors has eroded rapidly in the 2020s. W…
FOUNDING READER
This journal exists because 100 people believed in it before the world did.
Seat #001 could be yours.