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.
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