Brunel Solar Team leads after opening day World Solar Challenge

Elliott, - 24 August 2025 – Today, the World Solar Challenge kicked off in Darwin, Australia. From 8:00 AM onwards, the solar cars began their multi-day journey through the Australian outback. The Brunel Solar Team started third with Nuna 13. After a fiercely competitive opening day against rival Solar Team Twente, Nuna 13 has taken the lead in the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge, already covering 729 kilometers.

During the first kilometers, the teams faced poor visibility caused by bushfire smoke, adding extra challenges for driver Kees Broek. Still he quickly managed to reach the first position with Nuna: Top Dutch Solar Racing was overtaken, and Team Sonnenwagen Aachen soon found themselves stranded at the side of the road. Shortly after, Solar Team Twente appeared. Starting from eighth position, they managed to fight their way up to second place, and soon after overtook Nuna. From that moment, an intense battle unfolded between the Dutch frontrunners, with the lead changing several times. “The race has truly begun,” says Kees Broek, driver of the Brunel Solar Team. “The tension was high from the start, but as the kilometers went by it quickly felt familiar. Under various conditions we’ve shown what we’re capable of.”

After two hours of driving, the mandatory driver change took place for both Brunel Solar Team and Solar Team Twente. Lucas de Jong took over the wheel and soon reclaimed the lead. An unexpected traffic light due to roadworks caused delays and brought the teams even closer together. At the first control stop in Katherine, all solar cars were required to take a half-hour break to recharge their batteries. The Belgian Innoptus Solar Team, the defending champion who started from 11th position, made a strong arrival in third place. Twente departed first, but Nuna soon regained the lead. In the afternoon, the team deployed one of Nuna 13’s aerodynamic innovations: the canopy fin, which gave an advantage in the prevailing crosswinds. The second innovation, the sword fin, remained unused today. “It’s a real neck-and-neck race, which makes it incredibly exciting, and every decision counts,” says Jans van den Nobelen, who coordinates communication with the drivers at the Brunel Solar Team. “We’re in first place now, and it’s important that we stick to our strategy and stay focused on the thousands of kilometers still ahead.”