Qatar Telecom sponsors Brawn GP at Abu Dhabi F1 GP

Qatar Telecom (Qtel) announced today a major sponsorship agreement with Brawn GP, the newly-crowned 2009 Formula One World Champions, which will see the telecommunications leader in Qatar support the team for their final race of the season at the inaugural Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Brawn GP have surprised the world with its on-track performance this season, racing to the top of the Constructors’ Championship at the previous F1 race in Brazil with one of the team’s drivers Jenson Button becoming the new 2009 F1 Drivers’ Champion.

Qtel’s support for the World Champions is part of its ambitious sponsorship programme, which looks to maximize exposure of Qtel’s brand through innovative campaigns. With Formula One attracting a huge and passionate following in Qatar, the decision by the company to sponsor the winning team has generated a lot of excitement.

Qatar Telecom (Qtel) is the leading telecommunications company in Qatar, with a presence in 17 countries, and their sponsorship of the new World Champions Brawn GP will see the Qtel branding on the rear wing, chassis
and cockpit sides of the Brawn-Mercedes cars of Jenson Button and Rubens
Barrichello throughout the weekend.
Dr. Nasser Marafih, CEO, Qtel, said: “Qtel’s profile is increasing across the region and our ambitious agreement with the new World Champions Brawn GP is the ideal partnership to drive awareness of our brand to a new level. Qtel is proud to be associated with this fantastically successful team and we plan to use our sponsorship to reach out to a global audience of millions.�

Ross Brawn, Team Principal, Brawn GP said: "We are delighted to be
partnering with Qatar Telecom this weekend as Formula One returns to the
Gulf for the final race of the 2009 season. The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is
set to be a fantastic end to what has been a very exciting season of
racing with a very impressive new venue at the Yas Marina Circuit. With
both World Championships secured, Brawn GP will be looking for a good
result in Abu Dhabi to round off the season and we look forward to
welcoming our new partners at Qatar Telecom to the team over the
weekend."


As part of the agreement, Qtel will have highly-visible sponsorship branding on the Brawn GP cars and will look to maximize marketing activation opportunities including hospitality, merchandising, and promotional rights.

The company also has plans to bring elements from racing to Qatar, as part of the company’s wider support for motorsports and as part of its ongoing campaigns for road safety, hoping to use the experience of some of the world’s best racing drivers to share a message of caution on the roads.

It is known in the region that Qtel is one of the most active supporters of the Losail Racing circuit in Qatar, and is also one of the most active motor-sport sponsors in the region, in different championships such as MotoGP, Cross Country rallies and now also Formula 1.