Sep 19, 2012 12:00 +08 GP3 driver Tio Ellinas wins race in QNET- sponsored car

The Marussia driver Tio Ellinas won his first race in GP3 at Monza on Sunday 9th September in the second race of the weekend. The rookie Cypriat driver took his first win amongst a dramatic end to the season, which saw numerous crashes and the points lead change between drivers six times throughout the race.

Driving in the QNET-sponsored car with the Renault 4 cylinder 2 litre turbo charged 280 HP engine, Ellinas, who came in second the previous day in Race One, was determined to fight for the top spot in Race Two during the final weekend of the season, which took place in Italy.

Fans of GP3 were treated to a riveting title clincher, as Ellinas took the win with just a lap and a half to go, crossing the line a second ahead of competitor Daniel Abt. This handed the overall championship to New Zealander Mitch Evans, who despite having a disappointing weekend, walked away just two points ahead of his nearest rival Abt.

When asked how he felt winning in such a dramatic fashion, Ellinas responded, “This year we have had some bad moments, three or four times we have had problems with the car which didn't help us to make the right results as we weren't getting enough track time due to the issues we had. I am new this year so I have had to make everything work on my own, as my teammates have struggled a bit so I have tried to lead the team. I have helped with the data with my team and even with fixing my car. This is the perfect way to end the championship."

"I really wanted this win, no matter what. I knew he was fighting for the championship but I was just really aggressive and finally we win our first race of the year."

Director of Sports Sponsorships at QNET, Mr Joachim Steffen said of the win, “QNET are thrilled for Tio and Marussia Manor Racing with the win last weekend. They have been up against some very tough opposition this season, with consistently good performances by Abt and Evans. We’re sure we’ll see this form continue into the next season by the team.”

The Team have announced they are rewarding 20 year old Ellinas, the most successful Marussia Manor Racing GP3 driver of its 2012 Series campaign, with the opportunity to test one of the Marussia F1 Team’s race cars in the 2013 Young Driver Test. The impressive performance from this young driver means Ellinas will follow in the footsteps of Rio Haryanto, who has now graduated to the GP2 Series, and Adrian Quaife-Hobbs in securing the unique opportunity of an F1 rookie test with the Marussia F1 Team. Quaife-Hobbs has gone on to win the Auto GP championship this year, while Indonesian, Haryanto, concluded a positive debut season in GP2, highlighting that GP3 is an important stepping stone for drivers wishing to climb the ladder to the highest level of motor sport.

QNET, which has been involved in through its sponsorship of teams in the Formula BMW, Formula V6 and the GP2 Asia series since 2006, as well as GP3 more recently, stepped up into the sport’s pinnacle of the prestigious World Championship in November 2010. The Direct Selling company also manage their own show car tour of the Marussia F1 Team official 2012 MR01 model, which will travel to ten countries throughout 2012.

QNET is one of the world’s fastest-growing online shopping and business communities, with upwards of six million customers and independent distributors around the world. As a global direct selling company, QNET has millions of successful distributors and satisfied customers, e-Stores packed with exclusive lifestyle brands, and an award-winning customer support center spanning the globe in 25 languages.

Established in Asia in 1998, QNET utilises the direct sales business model on a proprietary e-commerce platform to market and distribute its exclusive products. The company specialises in both everyday consumer brands as well as high-end luxury goods. QNET is a member of the Direct Selling Association in Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines.