Brazilian brewing company Cervejaria Petrópolis will back the BrawnGP team at the 2009 Brazilian Grand Prix, where Brazilian driver Rubens Barrichello will be hoping to secure a home win to aid his championship challenge.

Barrichello is currently second to Britain's Jenson Button, his BrawnGP teammate, while the team is well clear at the top of the team championship in its first season in the sport.

"Brawn GP is delighted to welcome Cervejaria Petrópolis and their Itaipava brand to the team and to Formula One for the very first time," said BrawnGP chief executive Nick Fry. "The Brazilian Grand Prix is always a great event with a fantastic atmosphere and we are very proud to be associated with a prestigious Brazilian company for their home race. Our new partnership should prove to be very exciting as the season and the battle for the championship reaches its climax."

Douglas Costa, Cervejaria Petrópolis' marketing manager, added: "We are very pleased to have agreed the partnership between Cervejaria Petrópolis and Brawn GP for the Brazilian Grand Prix.

"Raising awareness of the Itaipava brand and our responsible driving message through involvement in motorsport is extremely important to our company strategy and our first venture in Formula One is designed to take this awareness to a wider audience through the global reach of the sport. We look forward to using the opportunity and prestige of working with the current Formula One World Championship leaders for our Itaipava brand."