NEWS RELEASE GP3 driver Tio Ellinas wins race in QNET-sponsored car Marussia Manor Racing team driver Tio Ellinas wins final GP3 race of the year at Monza. September 2012: The Marussia Manor Racing 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 Marussia F1 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 motorsport 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 Formula One 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. -Ends- For more information about QNET’s sponsorship of Marussia Manor Racing and Marussia F1 Team and for further interview opportunities, please contact: Lizzie Phillips Sports Sponsorship PR Manager QNET DID : +65 6491 0927 Mobile : +65 9728 9227 Email: [email protected] About QNET’s partnership with Marussia Manor Racing and Marussia F1 Team . In November 2010, Malaysian entrepreneur Dato’ Vijay Eswaran, the Executive Chairman of the QI Group of Companies – of which QNET is the flagship subsidiary – and Sir Richard Branson of the Virgin Group announced the three-year partnership between the then-Virgin Racing (now known as Marussia F1 Team, since 01 January 2012) and QNET. The QNET logo has since been prominent on the front wing and rear wing endplate of the MVR-02 race car in 2011 and the MR-01 race car in 2012. It has also been positioned on the overalls of the drivers, mechanics and team members, in Marussia F1 Team’s garage, transporters, motorhome, and Paddock Club suite. In 2012, the QNET logo is also branded across the bottom section of the drivers’ helmets. QNET is active in sports sponsorships – from motorsports and football to hockey and badminton – in order to help raise the profile of the wider direct selling community, while also drawing parallels of passion, teamwork, drive, persistence and success between sports and the business of network marketing: both are platforms for performance. As the only direct selling company in the race, QNET’s partnership with Marussia F1 Team has helped to cement the company’s reputation as a leading force in the industry. More information on the sponsorship can be found on www.qnet.net/sports, www.qnet.net/blog, and on social media pages www.facebook.com/QNetVFan, www.twitter.com/QNetVFan, www.qnet.net/facebook, and www.qnet.net/twitter. About QNET . QNET is the world’s largest and fastest-growing online shopping and business community, with major operations in Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore, and a worldwide presence in almost 30 different countries through representative offices and agency partnerships. Established in 1998, QNET’s exclusive brands can today be found in most countries around the world and its online business is driven by an advanced proprietary eCommerce platform. The Asian-based company retails a diverse and exclusive range of lifestyle and wellness brands around the globe to millions of satisfied customers: nutritional supplements; energy products; cosmetics and personal care brands; home care solutions; luxury items such as watches and jewellery; telecommunications; vacation packages; and more. The diversity of the QNET product portfolio allows a tailored product offering in different local markets. Known for offering ‘the best products in the right business’, QNET also provides an independent direct selling business opportunity to entrepreneurs, through borderless network marketing. The company supports a global sales force of distributors, who promote and distribute the company’s products. QNET is a member of several Direct Selling Associations around the world and is proactive in numerous social and charity initiatives, through its own RYTHM Foundation (‘Raise Yourself To Help Mankind’). QNET is also prominent in local and international sports sponsorships such as Formula 1 and Football, helping to help raise the profile of the universal network marketing profession. For more information about QNET, please visit www.qnet.net .