Racing driver James Winslow believes he can make a winning return on his comeback to professional competition in Europe this year.

Winslow, from Witham, has announced that he will be part of the Gulf Racing team in the 2015 European Le Mans Series and is confident that he is joining an outfit that can challenge for the top step of the podium.

His move to the European Le Mans Series will see Winslow pilot the Gulf-liveried Porsche RSR GTE at some of Europe’s finest circuits alongside Mike Wainwright and Adam Carroll in the GTE category.

Winslow said: “I’m very excited about this season.

“Every racing driver wants to win races in the famous and nostalgic colours and brands that are Gulf and Porsche, and that’s exactly what will happen this season.

“We have a very strong package in the Gulf Racing Porsche for the 2015 ELMS season.

“We will be podium finishers and race winners this year. I am confident we can win races. 2015 will be another huge season for me.

“The Gulf Racing team are an impressive group of individuals and I’m very pleased to be joining them.

“I have worked with a couple of the team members before and they are very talented guys and I know Mike, Adam and I will be a serious force on track.”

It will be a switch for the Witham ace, who has mainly concentrated on single-seater and touring car championships in Asia in recent years, including a fourth-place finish in the AA class and 12th-place overall at the famous Bathurst 12-Hour race in Australia last weekend.

However, as well as racing in LMP2 and GT3 competitions on the other side of the world, he also made a stunning debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France last year when a brilliant first stint saw Winslow set the famous race’s fastest lap time in the LMP2 category.

He is hoping to make a return to the iconic Circuit de la Sarthe in June for another attempt at the Le Mans 24 Hour event, but before his European commitments start, Winslow will be at the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide and the first round of the 2015 Australian GT Series.

The European Le Mans Series then begins testing in Portugal and France next month, before the opening round at Silverstone in Northamptonshire in April.