Sterre van der Wal from Heemstede competes in a thrilling second half of the Sasol Solar Challenge

The challenge in South Africa is one of the most difficult competitions for solar cars due to its unique format. Instead of racing to the finish line, the goal is to cover as many kilometers as possible over eight days. "Every day, we drive as many 'loops' as we can along the regular route to accumulate more kilometers and gain an advantage over the competition," says Sterre van der Wal, strategist for the Brunel Solar Team. "Today, we faced the Half-Blind Stage. On this day, the start and end points are known, but we only received the route for the loop shortly beforehand, making it extra challenging."

The team received the route information last night in a golden envelope. "After receiving the info, we immediately dove behind our laptops to analyze all the data and work out the best plan in a short amount of time," says Van der Wal. "Today, we had to deal unexpectedly with roadworks. One lane was closed, causing traffic from both directions to share the same lane. Our pre-scout team was sent ahead, quickly assessed the situation, and ensured that Nuna could drive through without losing time."

The challenge is halfway through, and tensions are rising. As expected, the Brunel Solar Team is competing with the Belgian Innoptus Solar Team and Solar Team Twente. After the fourth day, the number of kilometers covered is very close. "The teams are very evenly matched, and we're constantly overtaking each other. It's a real neck-and-neck race," says Sterre. "We're currently in third place. Our coach, Marc Lammers, has taught us to stay focused on ourselves and run our own race. We have a plan and on the last day we will see which team had the best strategy."

The main mission of the Brunel Solar Team is to inspire in the field of sustainable mobility and innovation. Van der Wal adds: "During the loop stop, there was a grandstand full of high school students. We always make sure to chat with the kids and answer all their questions about the solar car. The reactions are always super positive, and everyone was very curious about how everything works. When we left, they all shouted: 'TEAM NUNA.'"