It’s always a reliable partnership with a strong sense of perfomance

In our interview with Julius Tannert, we would like to paint a more accurate picture of a successful rally driver. Rallying is a discipline that places very special demands on man and machine. The driver, his co-pilot and the entire team work with the utmost precision and with overarching coordination to achieve a sporting complexity that has success as its goal. Julius was kind enough to take the time to share with us some insights about his motivation, the factors behind his success, and how he sees himself within his sport.  

We would like to start from the beginning. How did you get into rallying and what professional development did you go through?

Julius: Even in my childhood, I was able to watch, and perhaps even admire, my father, who was a co-driver in rally racing. That had a major impact on me, even though I didn't start practicing rally sport before the age of 22. That was when I jumped into the deep end, as they say. Since then, I've been living the sport of rallying with the greatest passion. 

there is also a road to be travelled before the first notable successes can be achieved. Are there any key experiences that are particularly stuck in your memory or victories which have touched you emotionally?

Julius: Definitely. In 2013, I won my first championship and built my career on that. I switched to the Opel Cup and reached the professional level with my participation in the World Championship in Corsica. I was particularly moved by this result because I was able to win by just 2.6 seconds. Considering a total race time of 3 hours and 51 minutes – that was very close in the end. I think that's why my joy was all the greater. 

Your team and your co-driver also play a decisive role – before and during a competition. As a driver, how highly do you rate this interaction and which individual factors have an influence on a good race?

Julius: The entire team is ideally prepared from the very beginning. The technicians, as well as my co-pilot, know about all the circumstances we encounter while driving. In the case of my co-driver, of course, trust is key. Or to put it briefly: Nothing works without him, because it's impossible to remember all the curves and specifics of the track. 

Motorsport thrives because drivers are pushing the limit. But what are the differences between rallying and Formula 1, for example?

Julius: To set the best times, we consequently also drive at the limit. But in comparison, that's a few percentage points below that of drivers on circuits. The weather, trees at the edge of the track and precipices have a different influence on our responsibility in the cockpit. Courage and experience meet risk awareness and the will to succeed. 

That sounds really impressive. What about the current season - how has it been so far and what are the prospects for the future?

Julius: This season we unfortunately had bad luck with the material in a decisive race. It's probably to be expected that we will only finish third in the championship. Sometimes you're exposed to higher forces. But that in no way diminishes our self-confidence. So, we're in good spirits for the tasks ahead.

Several parallels can be drawn between Julius, his fellows and Greiner Assistec. The importance of a trusting relationship with the team to complete multi-layered tasks in the best possible way, and the mastery of high technical performance all play a prominent and decisive part. Thank you very much for the time you took, Julius. Of course, we keep our fingers crossed for you. Good luck.