Can motorsport still be exciting without human drivers?

When electric-powered race cars entered the motorsport scene, some laughed. Traditionalists couldn’t imagine a race without roaring engines.

With Formula E gradually converting the doubters, the sport faces another revolution. This time, it’s driverless race cars.

But the biggest challenge, again, is winning fans over. Can racing still be exciting without human drivers? 2016-17 Formula E champion and Roborace CEO, Lucas di Grassi, seems to think so.

He says like electric-powered race cars, people will come around to the idea.

“People laughed but people are slowly turning to the idea,” he told CNN Supercharged. “We are in a very, very important transitional process of motorsport.”

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Published 9:37 AM EDT, Wed March 14, 2018

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The Gen2: Formula E's F22-inspired race car

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‘Motorsport is losing relevancy’

Roborace has been working on driverless cars and creating a new autonomous driving championship for a few years now. By using artificial intelligence, it says cars will be able to navigate tracks at fast speeds in championship races.

Di Grassi says his focus for the company is to find a way of keeping motorsport relevant when we live in a society that no longer requires drivers. “The future of road vehicles will be autonomous,” he says.

“Motorsport is losing relevancy and we need to fight to keep it low cost, relevant and exciting for this new generation.”

Nicki Shields poses with her rival, the AI race car DevBot at the Hong Kong ePrix earlier in December.

She took part in a unique challenge -- a time trial against an autonomous car around a street circuit.

The "Human vs. machine" challenge pitted an autonomous race car against a human driver on a Formula E street circuit around Hong Kong's harborfront.

The Devbot is a prototype electric car which has been created to develop and showcase the capabilities of autonomous vehicles.

Devbot's creators, Roborace, used the chassis from a LMP3 Ginetta -- a car design that's used by drivers in the FIA World Endurance Championship.

The rear-mounted petrol V8 engine has been replaced with a high-output, high-voltage battery.

The Devbot is fitted with state-of-the-art sensing equipment -- including LIDAR and cameras -- which enable it to navigate its way safely around a track.

Powerful AI software interacts with the sensing equipment enabling the Devbot to learn the geography of a track and the racing line.

Before the challenge in Hong Kong, Shields drove the Devbot at a test track in the UK.

Shields getting strapped in ahead of her three timed laps in Hong Kong.

Shields clocked a fastest lap of 1:26.60 seconds...

The Devbot couldn't match Shields time crossing the finish line in a time of 1:34.00 seconds.

Look out for a rematch between Shields and the DevBot in 2018.

Human vs. machine: Nicki Shields takes on Roborace's Devbot

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But the Brazillian racing driver is adamant the Roborace series is there to compliment the sport, not replace it.

“We are here to create a niche in motorsport – to continue its relevance,”he explains.

“We are not here to substitute the driver or the excitement that one-against-one or human drivers or performance creates.”

The championship will be a whole new field, Di Grassi says, where the driver’s ability or safety no longer needs to be considered.

Developers can instead focus on making even faster cars – and more entertaining track challenges.

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Supercharged: Santiago ePrix

23:07 - Source: CNN

READ: AI race car vs. human: Who wins?

The Robocar

There's one thing missing from the Robocar: a seat for a driver.

A Robocar in the pits during the FIA Formula E Championship Paris ePrix in May, 2017.

Roborace developed the first driverless electric racing car last year, the Robocar “devbot”, and it can reach speeds of 199mph.

It can completely autonomously navigate tracks by using a range of technologies such as lidar, radar, ultrasonic sensors, optical speed sensors, AI cameras and GNSS positioning.

The company plans to use cars like this, in an all-electric driverless race series that will be part of the entertainment at Formula E.

Automotive innovator Roborace has unveiled a design for the world's first self-driving, electric-powered 'Robocar.'

The AI vehicle has been designed to compete in a field of 20 Robocars. Driverless races will be form part of the entertainment at Formula E ePrix weekends. The all-electric race series is currently midway through its third season.

A collection of concept sketches of the autonomous car by Daniel Simon.

Roborace successfully trialed the AI technology on track at the Marrakech ePrix last November.

At the recent Buenos Aires ePrix, Roborace tested two prototype cars on track for the first time.

The car uses a range of driverless technologies including lidar, radar, ultrasonic sensors, optical speed sensors, AI cameras and GNSS positioning.

The car was unveiled at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Denis Sverdlov, Roborace CEO (left) CDO Daniel Simon (center), and Formula E CEO Alejandro Agag (right) attended the car's launch.

"Whilst pushing the boundaries of engineering, we styled every single part of the Robocar," Simon said in a statement.

The car is predominantly made of carbon fiber and weighs 975 kilos. Designers believe the car will help change motorsport for the better, ushering in a cleaner, safer future.

'Robocar' - the world's first AI electric racer

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It was only last year that it tested two “devbots” that raced against each other in Buenos Aires for the first time. One successfully dodged a dog that unexpectedly made its way onto the track, while another crashed into a wall during one of its turns.

Roborace said it was because it was “pushing the boundaries of AI.”

Di Grassi says he joined Roborace because, at 33 years old, he knows he can’t be a driver forever.

“I will not race forever, I will retire in the next few years.” he says, adding that Roborace will help him stay relevant in the motorsport industry.

“AI will take over the world, it’s just a matter of time.”