Thursday 25th August 2011

Brands Reunited: McLaren And Gulf Oil

Gulf Racing confirms order for Macca's new GT3 contender

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The McLaren F1 GTR - circa 1996(ish...)

A pair of new McLaren 12C GT3 racers will be campaigned in Gulf Oil livery in 2012, the first time the two brands have been reunited since the mid 1990s.

The two McLarens will be campaigned next year by the officially sanctioned Gulf Racing team, and the cars will be prepared with the 'classic' sky blue and orange livery - not the dark 'corporate' blue that the McLaren F1 GTR dabbled with in the mid 1990s for reasons somebody probably still remembers...

Gulf Racing is a private team run owned by a bunch of er, 'wealthy' racers who are in the racing game for love, and not the money. Its members are Frédéric Fatien, Roald Goethe, Jean-Pierre Valentini and Mike Wainwright. (Goethe also owns the fabulous Gulf racing car collection acquired/looked after by Duncan Hamilton Ltd.)

The new McLaren GT3 racer...

Their relationship with Gulf is not a traditional sponsorship deal because (as far as we can ascertain), the guys paint their cars blue and orange because they like 'em that way - no money actually changes hands.

This year they've been campaigning an Aston Martin Vantage - which you should be able to see in the Autosport 6 Hours at Silverstone next month - following a spell with Lamborghini. Interestingly, the team has decided not to run with the new Aston Vantage GT3 racer featured here.

"One only has to look at the heritage of the McLaren MP4-12C to see what a superb racing car it promises to be," says Mike Wainwright. "Our Team Manager, David Price, worked with McLaren in the era of the F1 GTR and knows first-hand what the company is capable of in terms of production, support and technology.

"We are convinced this is the right path for us to take to allow us to fully enjoy our racing - which, don't forget, we do for leisure and pleasure and not as a profession. McLaren GT assures its teams of a race car that will be high quality, reliable and drivable and that sounded perfect for us."

...and the team's 2011 Vantage

The team says it may continue to run its Vantage next year too, but a programme hasn't been confirmed.

Meanwhile Aston Martin Racing's own tie-up with Gulf continues to the end of 2012, but it will be interesting to see whether the relationship continues beyond that, given Aston's less than spectacular current form. (And perhaps given McLaren's reported interest in returning to endurance racing on its own account...)

[AWG]

Long live Gulf Oil livery in Motorsport!

[MoBeanz]

[hornetrider]

Moist.

[IndyAndy777]

Automotive porn.

[Mini1275]

[williamp]

The dark blue and orange looks so much better then the light blue & orange colour scheme seen on other cars (and everything at le mans the last few years)

[thewheelman]

True Gulf livery looks even better in the pale blue & orange. A real classic racing livery.

Edited by thewheelman on Wednesday 24th August 19:40

[RenesisEvo]

A match made in heaven, great news

[bobberz]

thewheelman said:

True Gulf livery looks even better in the pale blue & orange. A real classic racing livery.

Edited by thewheelman on Wednesday 24th August 19:40

I agree, it needs to be proper light blue and orange, not the dark blue and red on the F1 in the OP

[Or888t]

MoBeanz said:

+1

[TVRWannabee]

Gorgeous.

[Mrs Pitstop]

Both shades of blue look stunning, but the light blue does it for me - absolutely gorgeous :-D

[Panayiotis]

Is Gulf the new Red Bull?

[Camry_Man]

Panayiotis said:

Is Gulf the new Red Bull?

Surely you jest!

http://www.gt40supercharged.com/gt40_history.html

[Panayiotis]

Camry_Man said:

Surely you jest!

http://www.gt40supercharged.com/gt40_history.html

Nothing to do with the history, its just that from my understanding Gulf Oil (at least in the UK) is very much a marketing company in the same vein as Red Bull is to the Thai manufacturer of the drink. Gulf was a brand that was part of Chevron Oil which was bought by some folk in the 90s. Im sure the exact answer is only a quick search away.

[TVRWannabee]

Panayiotis said:

Is Gulf the new Red Bull?

Or is Red Bull the new Gulf?

[suffolk009]

Is that pearl metallic pale blue paint I can see on the aston? Really should be flat - shouldn't it...

[Conian]

and cue Liquid Knight....

[Liquid Knight]

thewheelman said:

True Gulf livery looks even better in the pale blue & orange. A real classic racing livery.

Couldn't agree more.

[james_tigerwoods]

I'd love to see both McLarens side by side in this livery - in fact, I'd love to see a race between the two