We’ve made it! After a long (and very exciting) trip across the globe, Team 25 is officially in Australia. The place we’ve been dreaming about and preparing for over a year now is finally real. While we would have loved stepping off the plane into the blazing Aussie sun, we were instead greeted with a chilly winter breeze and near-zero temperatures. July in Australia is sadly the middle of the winter which is not really shorts-and-sunglasses weather… but hey, at least our solar car will pop out against all that overcast sky! If you’ve been following us on Polarsteps (if you don't already here is the link; Solarsteps), then you already know the journey here has been quite something. Long flights, tight luggage limits, a perfect warm getaway, and way too many layovers, but in the end, totally worth it.
Now that we're here, we're getting to work, setting up our temporary home and our two workspaces, the Town Hall and the Aerodrome. Everyone is slowly settling into their routines, whether that's sourcing equipment, mapping out testing plans, or processing and publishing media. And as for logistics - and as with most things involving logistics - there’s (always?) a twist. With slightly more than a week of a delay, our flight case, containing our beautiful solar car inside, is expected to arrive any day now - maybe even today! It has already been through customs and the dreadful quarantine check. We're counting down the hours and preparing everything we can in the meantime so we can get to work as soon as it gets dropped off in the aerodrome. But that's only part of the story…
Our container, packed with all the crucial and very much necessary tools, has unfortunately hit a serious delay. The ship it was on suffered an engine failure and had to stop in Durban, South Africa, instead of going straight to Port Louis, Mauritius, as it was meant to do. What does that mean for us? A six-week delay. Not ideal, but if there’s one thing we’ve learned from solar racing, it’s how to adapt. We’ve already started sourcing critical parts locally and adjusting our testing plan so we can stay on schedule - or at least as close as we can get. We know that situations like these are out of anyone’s control, and we’re incredibly grateful to our logistics partners who have been in constant contact with us and are doing everything they can to help us move forward. Their support and transparency have made all the difference during such an unpredictable time and we absolutely love them for that!
Even though these hiccups are frustrating, it’s moments like these that remind us why preparation matters and why this is called a CHALLENGE, NOT A RACE. Over the past months, we’ve done our best to plan ahead, think in scenarios, and always keep a backup ready - even backups for the backups. It’s a good thing too, because flexibility is key when you participate in such a challenge, driving across a continent, when a new regulation can be published at any moment and change everything.
Looking ahead, the excitement is building. This is our third time taking part in the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge, and each time so far we've brought something new. In 2019 (our very first time), we won the Excellence in Engineering Award. Last time in 2023, we earned the Safety Award. Now, we’re aiming high once again. Trying to push our limits and make it more exciting, and admittedly harder and more challenging for us, with a car that introduces a radical new approach to height and aerodynamics. It’s something we’ve never done before, and we’re eager to see how it performs out here in the real world, during the challenge.
Right now, we’re focusing on staying sharp, staying positive, and preparing for the weeks ahead. With the car almost here and our team finally reunited in one place, we’re more motivated than ever!
Let the Australian adventure begin — and trust us, there’s so much more to come.