From the lecture theatre to the pit lane The Lions Racing Team kicks off the racing season with a new model

The Lions Racing Team is back in action: following a successful previous season, the team from Technische Universität Braunschweig is ready for the next chapter. With the brand-new LR26 racing car in tow, they’re heading back to the major European Formula Student circuits this summer. The clear aim: to continue the upward trend.

The successes achieved with the predecessor model, the LR25, during ‘Formula Student Austria’ at the prestigious Red Bull Ring and at ‘Formula Student Germany’ at the Hockenheimring form a solid foundation for the current racing season. They have demonstrated where the strengths of the concept lie and where there is still untapped potential. It is precisely this potential that the new LR26 is now set to realise.

“The success at the Hockenheimring was a real turning point for all of us,” recalls team principal Max Damm. “After all the setbacks of recent years, seeing the car complete the endurance race and score points in every discipline gave the whole team an incredible boost of motivation. It is with precisely this energy that we have embarked on the development of the LR26 – we now know once again exactly why we’re pulling all-nighters in the workshop.”

Between the lecture theatre and the workshop: everyday life in the garage

What outsiders often don’t realise is that a racing car like this isn’t simply built on the side. The students spend countless hours in the workshop. Whether straight after lectures, quickly before them, or – not infrequently – during long, gruelling night shifts – the Formula Student project demands total commitment. During the months of development and manufacturing, the workshop quickly becomes a second home, where the team designs, tinkers and, occasionally, lets off a bit of steam together.

To avoid losing track of things amidst all the work, structured organisation is absolutely essential. Once a week, the entire team comes together for a major team meeting to discuss overall progress and plan the next major milestones. However, as the project is highly complex, the work is divided into a total of seven specialised modules: Suspension & Powertrain, Chassis, Aerodynamics, Electronics, Performance, Driverless, Organisation & Marketing.

The technology: The LR26 in figures and new challenges

The LR26 is regarded as a masterpiece of student engineering, combining lightweight construction with electric power. For this season, the team has decided to take a major and time-consuming step: the construction of a completely new monocoque, i.e. the car’s outer shell. The body of the racing car, manufactured using a carbon-aluminium sandwich construction, required months of precise work. In addition, the team faced another major challenge this year: numerous rule changes in the official Formula Student regulations required a radical rethink and entailed a great deal of extra work in the design phase.

The car is powered by two motors on the rear axle, which together deliver an impressive 80 kW (108 PS) to the road.

Although the LR26 will be manned exclusively by drivers at this year’s events, the team is looking further ahead in terms of technology: the ‘Driverless’ working group is already working flat out on solutions for autonomous driving, with a view to competing on the racetracks without a driver in the near future.

The toughest day of the winter: How to secure a place on the racetrack

Anyone who thinks that Formula Student only starts in the summer is sorely mistaken. You can’t simply pick and choose the events you want to take part in – you have to fight hard for them. That’s why ‘Quiz Day’ is traditionally marked on the calendar at the end of January, one of the most important and stressful days of the whole year for the team. On this day, the task is to complete a challenging online quiz for each event. The questions cover a broad spectrum: everything is included, from highly complex technical questions and tricky maths problems to unexpected ‘fun questions’. Points are awarded for each correct answer. Only the teams that score the most points under enormous time pressure qualify for the coveted starting places.

The summer of decision: statics, dynamics and a big goal

All the studying and qualifying have paid off: in August, the Lions Racing Team will be setting up camp at Formula Student Germany (11–16 August 2026) and Formula Student France (24–29 August 2026).

However, before the LR26 is even allowed to drive a single centimetre on the race track, the toughest hurdle awaits: scrutineering. During this technical inspection, the car is put through its paces by the judges against a strict and rigorous set of rules. Only once all safety and regulatory requirements have been met will the team receive the coveted sticker granting permission to compete in the dynamic events.

“The events in August are the absolute highlight we work towards all year round,” says team principal Max Damm. “When, after all those months in the workshop, you suddenly find yourself in the paddock at the Red Bull Ring or in France, you feel a very special atmosphere. That’s where the entire international field comes together. For us, it’s not just about points there, but about functioning as a team when it really matters.”

More than just motorsport: priceless practical experience

A major project like this can only succeed through diversity and support. The team now includes students from over 20 different degree programmes. Naturally, the traditional technical subjects such as mechanical engineering are well represented – but a Formula Student team needs far more than that. Here, students studying to become teachers, as well as those studying architecture, business administration and media studies, work hand in hand. Involvement in this student initiative offers a wide range of tasks: from genuine engineering to event management, finance and professional marketing, there’s something for everyone. Ultimately, one thing counts above all else: gaining invaluable practical experience together. That’s why the Lions Racing Team is always on the lookout for new team members who are keen to swap theory for practice.

The student initiative is fundamentally dependent on supporters. Without their backing, not a single tyre of the LR26 would touch the tarmac. Professional sponsorship and close, reliable collaboration with companies from the region and beyond are therefore just as vital to our survival as perfectly tuned aerodynamics.

“With the LR26 and a strong team behind us, we’re ready to represent TU Braunschweig with pride on the European stage. Fingers crossed for the events in August,” says team manager Max Damm.