An exciting, adrenalin-boosted year 2022 comes to an end…

Not only the year, but also the rally season is getting close to the finishing line. An ideal time to look back together with Julius Tannert and ask him about his highlights of 2022 and where the next challenges for him and his racing team lie.

Welcome, Julius, to our interview. This year you took part in several championships. What were your highlights of the season and how satisfied are you with the final result?

Julius: Looking back, I have to say that the German Championship was really exciting, right up to the final race. The fight for the title was a battle between five excellent drivers who were extremely close together in pretty much every race. And I mean that literally. Because in the end the gaps between us were only seconds. But I’d also like to emphasise that it was of course a lot of fun to compete with so many of the absolute best, all in one place and at the same time. So, I’m really pleased with my third place in this year’s championship, even though sometimes I felt I could’ve finished right at the top.

So you just missed your goal of becoming champion. Are there any reasons behind that?

Julius: Unfortunately, in the penultimate race, my car blew a tyre. That cost me a lot of time and was decisive for the overall result. In addition, I started the season with a new rally car. Of course, getting used to a new car also means you need time for set-ups and adjustments.

Which races exactly would you describe as noteworthy?

Julius: I’d put the Rally Erzgebirge at the top of my list. After all, it’s a home race for me, and I’m thrilled to see how many passionate fans I have there. I finished in second place, just 0.9 seconds behind the winner. I also have to mention the challenge at the Middle Rhine near Trier. Because here I was actually driving some of the time on the former World Championship track. There are very narrow roads and tight curves all along the course, but that’s the charm of this track.

That sounds pretty exciting. Were there any challenges or pitfalls during the season that were significant for you?

Julius: Absolutely, because I’ve had a new co-driver since the start of the season. Frank Christian now sits next to me and navigates me through the course. That goes hand in hand with an adjustment, because a new voice already makes a big difference. Right from the beginning my ears had to get used to the sound of his voice and the way he talked, and so I’m having to adapt to all that in my head. But by the end of our second race we were already perfectly attuned to each other and now the way we play off each other is excellent. Also because we trust each other.

You still have a bit of time until the start of the 2023 season in March. How will you bridge the gap until then?

Julius: I’ll definitely go skiing for a few days to have a break. But I’m already making preparations for the new racing season, so there’s a lot of administration work to do. I also offer winter training courses in Austria and Finland. I teach private clients how to drive a car under difficult and challenging conditions.

You´ve probably already set yourself some new goals. What are you striving for and what further prospects do you have?

Julius: I don’t even have to think about that: The German Championship is of course my main concern and I’d love to come top, that goes without saying. Together with my fantastic team, I’m also hopeful that we’ll achieve this.

We’d like to thank you very much for this interview. And of course, we’ll keep our fingers crossed for your upcoming races. Come back healthy and please continue to share your successes with us.