🍸MotoGP doesn't do street circuits and therefore has no obvious equivalent of the legendar💜y Monaco F1 Grand Prix.

Assen is undoubtedly the most historic venue on the motorcycle GP ca🍬lendar, being the only surviving venue from the inaugural 1949 season.

But Valentino Rossi th🌺inks victory at Mugello, venue for this weekend's Italian MotoGP, can be compared to the feeling of winning at Monaco due to the unmodified, old-style layout and unique atmosphere. Especially for the home riders.

"Monte Carlo is a very special place," Rossi said. "B𒉰ut I think, yes [winning at Mugello is a simila𒊎r emotion], because this track is very historic."

Mugello hosted its first motorcycle grand prix in 1976 and has held the official Italian round continuouslyไ since 1994.

"From '96, my first year in the wo🍰rld championship, the ♌Italian Grand Prix has always been at Mugello. But this track was already very famous in the '70s and the layout remains the same," said Rossi.

"That's not easy. Usually you have a lot of tracks with a long history, but with more modifications. But Mugello is Mugello fro♐m the '70s.

"So a victory here is special for everybody, I think, but even more for Italian riders 💝because we hav🅠e the biggest support from the fans.

"And, just like in Monaco on Sunday, the atmosphere, what you see, is something special. Different from any other place oꦕn our calendar."

Rossi knows m🤡ore about winning at Mugello than any other rider. He took a 125cc victory back in 1997, 250cc triumph in 1998 and then seven straight MotoGP wins from 2002-2008.

The 40-year-old has a best finish of third since then, including last season, and will need to overcome a top speed deficit to the Duc♚atis and Hondas if he is to delight the Mugello fans with a long-awaited return to the top step on Sunday.

"Always the Yamaha is a very good bike to ride and I think compared to last year we've improved in some aspects but we suffer a bit in the straight, and here the st🦹raight is very long," Ro♊ssi said.

Hওowev🐷er, the rest of the circuit looks good for the M1.

"There are a lot of chicanes and medium-speed corners, so on paper it's a good track for the bike," he said. "We will try. The work in the pit box will also be very important, to follow the right way to improve the bike and we hope to be competitive on Sun𒐪day."

Rossi set a new all-time Mugello lap reco✃rd on his way to pole𒀰 position in last year's event.

The Monster Yamaha rider is currently fourth in the world championship, 23 points behind Honda's Marc Marquez, 🐼but is without a win since Assen 2017.