Vincenzo Nibali is ready to dive into a new adventure, this time on four wheels. The Sicilian champion, who just recently celebrated his 40th birthday, will participate in the Monza Rally Show driving a GR Yaris R1T4x4 from the Toyota Gazoo Racing Italy team. A key role in this new partnership is played by VisitMalta, which for years has been involved in important sporting and cycling collaborations, from the Polti cycling team - which from next year will have Visit Malta as its second name - to the sponsorship of the Giro d'Italia.
The presentation took place at the Automobile Club Italia headquarters in Milan where president Geronimo La Russa opened the doors of the House of Motorists.

Ester Tamasi, director of Malta Tourism Authority Italy, explains the motivation for the partnership: «Malta is a destination that can be enjoyed all year round and that Italians like, we are the first in incoming and we like competitiveness. We collaborate with Manchester United and are sponsors of the Polti Kometa Team: from 2025 we will become title sponsors since the team will be called Polti Visit Malta. We must thank Valerio Agnoli, our reference for developing projects related to cycling and beyond, given that today we are here to talk about motors».

In turn, Carlo Micallef, CEO of Malta Tourism Authority emphasizes this new initiative: «The operation with Nibali and Toyota stems from the desire to strengthen VisitMalta's commitment to promoting actions that can combine both sports and tourism, and sports and Destination marketing. VisitMalta is pleased to be associated with famous brands like Toyota, Polti and the Monza Rally Show. The collaboration with a respected athlete, such as Vincenzo Nibali, is a source of great pride for us. Finally, one of our strategic objectives aims to intensify the promotion of Malta in Lombardy, the region from which direct flights depart from Milan Malpensa, Milan Linate and Bergamo».

Visibly excited, Vincenzo Nibali: «I thank all the parties who have come together to give me this new adventure. It won't be my first time on the track but definitely the first time in a competition like the Monza Rally Show. Toyota has long been close to cycling, just think of the Giro d'Italia and Giro E. For me, motorsport is a new sport and when you do things seriously, it is challenging. Of course, compared to the bicycle, it is more comfortable to sit in, but it still requires considerable physical effort, especially when speed increases. It's true that in the saddle I was used to suffering, but I also know that you experience sensations that are otherwise difficult to experience if you don't push your body to the maximum. The mental effort is similar to what is required to drive a racing car, it gives a lot of adrenaline and emotion, a bit like when you climb onto a time trial platform. Allow me also to thank the Mapei Sport Research Center, where during the week I underwent a competitive medical examination, necessary to return to racing».

Then the Sicilian champion adds: «I was born on two wheels, but the passion for motors has always been there. In particular, I was always fascinated by supercars and rallies, as a professional athlete for 18 years under contract I could not get on cars of this power, although I confess that sometimes it happened in secret. Now I have expressed this desire and at the Monza Rally I will live a special first time, with the desire to test myself in the "safety" of a track. The idea of driving in a race excites me and if I have to compare it to a bike, the Toyota GR Yaris R1 T4×4 reminds me of an MTB. I have always been a good descender, on bikes and motorcycles you draw different trajectories, here you have to dose the brake and moderate the gas to exploit the engine to the maximum. But I know I have to gain experience: in the past I drove a Porsche Gt4, a car completely different from the one I will use in Monza».

Among the creators of this "first time" is Tobia Cavallini, director of Toyota Gazoo Racing Italy: «Toyota is the world's first and greenest manufacturer, the sports sector experiments and finalizes technologies that then arrive on everyday cars. Yesterday Vincenzo did a 100 km test with coach Giandomenico Basso, with the bike... he wasn't bad but he also handles himself well in a car! He has good foundations to work on: we will carry out an approach path to the race that will allow him to improve his feeling with the car. Alessandro Franco, young and motivated, will navigate him and will teach Vincenzo how to read the notes necessary to tackle a rally, even on a track. For us, it is an honor to make our technology and experience available to a champion of Vincenzo Nibali's caliber».

Fasten your seatbelts. Let's go!