Leading motorcycle lubricant brand and Ducati MotoGP team technical partner Shell Advance has reached an agreement with MotoGP rights holders Dorna Sports S.L to become title sponsor of the 2009 Shell Advance Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix. The agreement has resulted from an ongoing partnership with Dorna which has already seen a strong Shell Advance track-side advertising presence at 2009 MotoGP events in Qatar, Italy, Germany and the United States.
Shell has been involved in MotoGP competition since 2003, through its technical partnership with Ducati Corse. Shell provides Ducati with cutting edge lubricants and fuels, and continuously transfers learnings from the racetrack to the road-going version of Shell Advance for its consumers worldwide. The racing version of Shell Advance helped Ducati Corse to its first ever triple World Championship crown in 2007, and is now vital in protecting the Ducati GP9 machines through MotoGP regulations allowing each rider to use only five engines for the final seven races of the 2009 season. Shell’s increased investment in the sport will deliver heightened exposure to its Shell Advance premium lubricant products in the key Asian region.
Tanmay Jaswal, Global Marketing Manager for Shell Advance commented, "We are extremely pleased to announce our title sponsorship of the penultimate round of the 2009 FIM MotoGP World Championship. The Malaysian MotoGP is an exciting annual event for the whole of Asia and one that Shell Advance is very proud to support. Shell already enjoys a successful technical partnership with Ducati Corse in MotoGP and increasing support in Malaysia is a logical next step. This title sponsorship provides us with an ideal platform to strengthen our existing MotoGP presence, as we seek to communicate with MotoGP fans and our customers in markets across Asia."
Dorna Sports S.L. Managing Director Pau Serracanta stated, "We are delighted that the leading petroleum company in the world is supporting the MotoGP World Championship as a Grand Prix title sponsor, in addition to the support that they already provide via trackside advertising and their partnership with the official Ducati team. MotoGP has a huge fan base in Malaysia and throughout Asia, so this agreement will give Shell Advance the opportunity to further penetrate this highly important market."
The 2009 Shell Advance Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix will take place at the Sepang circuit, close to Kuala Lumpur, from 23-25 October 2009.
