IDM News: World Championship relaunch, test opportunities and a registration deadline

A team is leaving the IDM Sportbike series and moving onto the international stage. There are affordable testing opportunities for IDM riders, and at the Sachsenring, anyone can take to the track. Registration for the Moto4 Northern Cup is now open via the ADAC.

Out onto the GP circuit with Max Neukirchner

The Sachsenring is not on the IDM calendar for 2027. Due to the limited number of noise days available, races there will alternate annually with the classic car event. Anyone who doesn’t want to wait until 2028 and would like to do a few laps of the German Grand Prix circuit themselves can do so alongside former World Championship and IDM rider Max Neukirchner. There are two dates on offer: 27–28 May and 7–8 September. “We can book the circuit provided we have at least 60 firm bookings per date,” explains Neukirchner. “A maximum of 80 riders can take part.” Registrations are now being accepted.

Registration deadline for the Moto4 Cup is approaching

Young riders interested in taking part still have a good four weeks to register for the 2027 edition of the Moto4 Northern Cup. The deadline for applications is 25 December 2026. Interested riders can apply now at moto4northerncup.com. Both teams and individual riders have the opportunity to register for a place in the junior series organised by the ADAC and the MotoGP Sports Entertainment Group. The series will be contested on Honda NSF250R motorbikes fitted with Pirelli tyres. As in the previous year, a maximum of 26 places are available. Riders born between 1 January 2008 and 3 April 2013, who will therefore have reached the required minimum age of 14 before the first test, are eligible to apply. Applications are open to riders worldwide, although preference will be given to young riders from Northern and Central Europe.

As part of the application process, riders must provide a team name and appoint a team manager. In addition, at least one mechanic and one legal representative are required. Existing or newly formed teams may also register directly. To do so, they must appoint a team manager to act as the main point of contact. The proposed team structure comprises one driver and two mechanics, who may also be family members or friends.

Testing opportunities at the IBPM

Anyone wishing to test in race mode on one track or another ahead of the IDM rounds can do so at the events of the International Bike Promotion Championship (IBPM). The calendar of events has been finalised and entries are already being accepted.

From the IDM Sportbike to the World Championship

Following their stint in the Euro Moto Sportbike series, the team led by Dutchman Rob Vennegoor – Team Sencat-RT Motorsports-Honda – is returning to the World Championship. Italian Marco Gaggi and Briton Freddie Barnes have been signed as riders. Spain’s Daniel Mogeda, who had secured his first podium finish in September as a wildcard rider in the IDM Sportbike on the team’s Honda, did not feature in the 2027 line-up. In 2027, the team will compete in the World Sportbike Championship as an official Honda-supported team.

“We have worked long and hard to put together a team that is ready to take on the competition,” explains Rob Vennegoor. “With Marco and Freddie, we have signed two riders who, whilst coming from very different backgrounds, both possess the talent and ambition to compete at the very top. Marco Gaggi, a 23-year-old from Italy, has been competing in the World Championship since 2022. Freddie Barnes (19, UK) comes from the British Supersport Championship. It remains to be seen whether the team will also make an appearance in the IDM Sportbike next year.