Successful 24 Hours return for 'blue-and-orange'.

Gulf returned to Le Mans for what was to be one of the hottest and most incident-packed 24 Hours of recent times, but the famous powder blue-and-orange colours came away with two podium finishes and another top ten result.

Gulf colours were sported primarily by the two Courage-Fords run by Paul Belmondo Racing team in the LMP2 prototype category, whilst also appearing on the Dome of former race winner Jan Lammers in the senior LMP1 class.

The event proved to be something of a roller-coaster for the Belmondo cars, which qualified first and second in LMP2 but suffered a bitter-sweet ending to the weekend.

For much of the race, the two French entries ran as they had qualified, establishing a very comfortable lead in the category despite several potentially race-ending moments in the night, including several punctures. However, with only an hour-and-a-half to run, mechanical problems intervened simultaneously with both cars, forcing them to surrender what would have been a hard-fought and well-deserved victory.

The team rallied, however, and the #36 car, driven by Claude-Yves Gosselin, Karim Ojjeh and Adam Sharpe regained its second place in class. In the meantime, clever strategy by team leader Paul Belmondo - who realised that the category victory had escaped his #37 car, but that third place was assured if he finished - saw the team saving the car for most of the final hour in order to cross the line at 1600hrs and claim a podium place, along with Didier Andr? and Rick Sutherland.

Lammers, Elton Julian and John Bosch brought the Racing for Holland Dome-Judd home in a very creditable seventh place overall in the even more competitive LMP1 category, having yo-yo'ed around the top ten for much of the race.

"Three Gulf-supplied cars started the race and all three finished - I think that speaks volumes for the quality of the teams and of the product," brand manager Priyansha Raina said, "Our congratulations - and commiserations at the same time - go to Paul, Claude-Yves and the whole PBR team. They put in a huge amount of effort for the race and did Gulf proud. They thoroughly deserved both cars being on the podium and hopefully next time it will be on the top step."

Paul Belmondo Racing also won one of Le Mans' most prestigious off-track awards, as the team and its sponsors were presented with the Prix de la Communication 2005 for providing the best press material and service of all 50 of those cars taking part in this year's race. In addition, the mechanics of the #37 Gulf-sponsored car received the Prix Escra for providing the best technical assistance.

"Many seasoned motor racing fans already know the Gulf name - especially in connection with the Le Mans 24 Hour race - but, this year, we returned in force to the 'great race' 'with Paul Belmondo Racing and, hopefully, won many new fans, both through the performance of the Gulf-supported cars on track and our promotional activities around the race," Raina commented, "The brand's sponsorship of the traditional drivers' parade in Le Mans city centre on Friday night gave us exposure to the tens of thousands who thronged around the parade route, and the bringing of Gulf's legendary Ford GT40 and Porsche 917 to parade at the circuit supplemented our on-track presence."