WHO ARE WE? ROBERT AND ALFRED RENAUER WHO ARE WE? ROBERT AND ALFRED RENAUER

Who are we?Robert and Alfred Renauer

We sit down with ‘Germany’s fastest twins’ to discuss working and racing with your brother, the importance of Porsche,

how difficult it has been running their father’s team, and, crucially, which one of them is faster.

Before you ask, as the Renauer twins, born mere moments apart on 15 March 1985 take their seats for this interview,

no, we can’t tell which one’s Robert and which one’s Alfred either. There’s no distinguishing birthmarks, no rogue tattoos, or any subtle change in hairstyle to tell them apart at a glance. They’ve both arrived dressed in civvies too, so throwing a furtive peek at the names on their race suits is also out of the question.

Still, this can hardly be the first time Herberth Motorsport’s benevolent team principals have been in this situation, given that they have worked and raced together for the better part of two decades, right, ….Robert?

“For me, it’s easier working with my brother because we share everything,” Robert begins (phew!). “We help each other, and I think it’s a big advantage to have [Alfred]. The organisation is always excellent because he takes care of logistics for the team at the circuit, the travel, hotel bookings, etc, and that means I can concentrate on the racing side of things.”

“It’s a little different, but it’s good to have the same vision,” Alfred continues. “We speak a lot during the weekends, so if one of us has a problem, the first guy involved is the brother! In the car we are very similar to each other too because we have a similar driving style. That saves us a lot of time during setup.”

An ideal base on which to begin a motorsport career then, one would assume. Incredibly however, when Alfred and Robert made their GT racing debuts in the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland in 2003, they had zero car-racing experi-ence having just stepped straight out of go-karts. As far as learning curves go, theirs was positively vertical.

“Our father was always very busy with the team,” Alfred continues, “so he missed the chance to take us karting when we were younger. That meant we started really late, about 15 years old, around the same age most guys start racing Formula cars. In the end it was the right direction to drive GT cars instead.”

No question though, despite their relative lack of grassroots development, both brothers showed demonstrable pace in those early campaigns. In 2005, Alfred took a decisive victory at Road Atlanta in the first ever IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge race. A mix of university studies (his calling was automotive engineering) and a burgeoning team management role meant this would stand as Alfred’s sole high profile GT win until the 2015 Hankook 12H MUGELLO, but a point had been proven.

By 2007, Robert was also making his GT presence felt. Alongside his Carrera Cup commitments, the young Bavarian would make the first of four race starts, hitherto, at the famed Rolex 24 at Daytona aboard a VIVI Racing- entered Fabcar FDSC alongside former Minardi wallet Gastón Mazzacane and Uwe Alzen. Fittingly, that same year, ‘99 Le Mans class winner Alzen would secure Herberth Motorsport its first Carrera Cup driver’s title, despite not winning a single race all year.

And yet, even with an ever-growing reputation in the Carrera Cup, neither Robert nor Alfred had ventured to the top of the Carrera Cup podium when the decision was made to go the ADAC GT Masters route full-time for 2012. Change was just around the corner, however, in both triumphant and devastating fashion.

On 7 September 2012, after dedicating much of his later life to the GT team that bore his name, the twins’ father, Alfred Herberth, was tragically killed in a road accident in Italy, mere days before the penultimate round of the ADAC GT season. Herberth Motorsport – “the family” – was rattled to its core by the news, and it speaks volumes that both Robert and Alfred Jr. not only had the courage to complete the season but take the team management reigns and lead their father’s beloved outfit on to multiple race wins and championship crowns in the year’s that followed. Indeed, in 2013, Robert secured the team’s first ADAC GT race win and came within five points of taking the overall title. The old man would doubtless be proud of what his sons have accomplished in his honour. )Petr Fryba

60 HANKOOK 12H SPA 2018 24HSERIES.COM 61

BE ONE WITH ITBe one with your tires, and the road will be one with you

global.hankooktire.com

Well-rounded precision for superior performanceWith its advanced Aqua Driving System and Straight 4-Channel Waterwaythat ensure stability by preventing hydroplaning and aquaplaning,the new Dynapro HP2 delivers superior performance for all your driving needs.

Hankook Tire Co., Ltd. Dubai Office : Al Moosa Tower 2, #1002 P.O.Box 15097 Sheik

Zayed Road, Dubai, U.A.E Tel. 971-4-3321330

[Dubai]RA33_148.5x210mm.indd 1 2017. 11. 20. 오후 5:47

WHO ARE WE? ROBERT AND ALFRED RENAUER

“That was a very difficult time, but honestly, the step [into ADAC] actually wasn’t that big because the competition in Carrera Cup was so high. There were just as many professional teams in the CUP series as there was in GT3. It was just another car, but one that needed more work with setup. That was a great season.”

Poor luck would mar 2014 and 2015, but in 2016, Robert would once again head into the ADAC GT season finale as a title contender. The formerly named Precote Herberth Motorsport Porsche 991 GT3 R found yet another gear for 2017, winning four times in seven 24H SERIES outings in devastating fashion, and only brutally timed suspension-cum-chassis damage at the season finale in Portimão felled the team’s chances of winning CREVENTIC’s European Championship last year (they would still be crowned the inaugural Champions of the Continents).

“We had a great year in 2017” – Alfred – “You need a lot of luck, for sure, and a good car too, but in the end, it comes down to the team and the people you work with. What’s great about the 24H SERIES is that everything is so familiar. We’ve been racing together for five, six years now, doing every 24-hour race with the same group of people. And that’s very special

because we’re all friends: we’ve been racing with Daniel [Allemann] and Ralf [Bohn] for something like 10 years. That’s a big advantage for the 24H SERIES compared with, say, GT Masters, where you always get a new team member or co-driver or new mechanics. In the 24H SERIES, the whole team stays together for many years, so there’s a great atmosphere.”

That seems as good a place as any to end our conversation with Alfred and Robert Renauer. We can’t though, because there’s one question we’ve yet to ask that, quite honestly, we’re dying to hear the answer to…

“Which of you is faster?”Brief pause amidst amused chuckles before Alfred, sportingly, pipes up… “I think it’s Robert,” who then interrupts.

“We were asked this question about 15 minutes ago, and I had to remind you that, at the Red Bull Ring, you were quicker than me in qualifying. So maybe I’m not the quicker one…”

Turns out, even with the assistance of telemetry screens, telling Germany’s fastest twins apart is no easier now than it was before.

)Petr Fryba

62 HANKOOK 12H SPA 2018