When people think of MotoStudent, they probably picture a thrilling race weekend — bikes, corners, stopwatches. The reality is a much longer and more exciting story: a MotoStudent season begins well before the starting line and lasts for many months before a team's prototype can finally prove itself on the track.
Our season officially began in April 2026, when team registration opened. From then on, the available spots started to run out: the application window stays open only until all available places have been filled.
Registration is just the beginning. The months that follow are organized around a series of strictly scheduled milestones, each marking the close of a development phase. In November, teams must present their team plan — essentially how they intend to approach the whole project. February brings the product definition, April the presentation of innovation, and in May two major milestones await at once: the prototype's CAD drawings and the economic plan. In June, this phase concludes with a pitch presentation, before the final presentation arrives at the Final Event in the autumn.
But before anyone can roll onto the track on their self-built motorcycle, it has to pass scrutineering — the technical inspection. This is no mere formality: it determines whether the motorcycle meets the safety and performance requirements, and whether the team's rider is eligible to start at all. The process has three stages — an administrative check, a static inspection, and then a dynamic safety test — and only after that can the fun begin.
And that fun consists of eight different tests: brake test, gymkhana, acceleration, top speed, regularity race, pole position, then the best race lap and finally the race result. Each test measures a different aspect of what the team has built and developed over more than a year.
Another important administrative step is the rider eligibility declaration: every team must document the sporting background of its designated rider — without it, the rider simply cannot take the start. The deadline is August 2027, just a few weeks before the Final Event.
Next time you hear about a MotoStudent race, remember: it is really just the last, spectacular chapter of many months of work.