Formula SAE is an international design competition, held every year at 8 locations worldwide. Launched in the United States in 1980, competitions have been held in Europe since 1998. Students from more than 400 universities all over the world take part in the Formula SAE design competition.

Students design and engineer the cars, manufacture or buy the necessary components and assemblies, test the cars and compete in static and dynamic events. Extensive regulations provide the general framework for the conception and construction of the race cars. Judges from the automotive industry and Formula 1 evaluate the car´s performance in the dynamic events and the team's sense of innovation, creativity and management of resources.

The idea of the Formula Student is assuming that a company has assigned the teams of students to build a prototype for hobby race drivers, which will be laid out for a production of 1000 vehicles and will have to fulfill various qualities. The competition is accordingly construed that all aspects are evaluated beginning from construction over calculation of cost to the capability in real usage. Therefore the competition is structured in a dynamic and a static discipline. A total of 1.000 points can be achieved in eight differing disciplines.