MotoGP 🦩doesn't do street circuits and therefore ha🗹s no obvious equivalent of the legendary Monaco F1 Grand Prix.

Assen is und🍒oubtedly the most historic ven🔯ue on the motorcycle GP calendar, being the only surviving venue from the inaugural 1949 season.

But Valentino Rossi thinks victory at Mugello, venue for this wee💖kend'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. "But I think, y𒆙es [winning at Mugello is a similar emotion], be♚cause this track is very historic."

Mugello hosted its first motorcycle grand prix in 1976 and has held the official Italian round continuously sin🐷ce 1994.

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

"Th✅at's not easy. Usually you have a lot of tracks with a long history, but with more modifications. But Mugello is Mugello from the '70s.

"So a victory here is special for everybody, I think, but even more for Italian riders bec🎶ause we have the biggest support from the fans.

"And, just li🐈ke in Monaco on Sunday, the atmosphere, what you see, is som🙈ething special. Different from any other place on our calendar."

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

The 40-year-old has a best finish of third since then, incl🃏uding last season, and will need to overcome a top speed deficit to the Ducatis 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 laꦜst year we've improved in some aspects but we suffer a bit in the straight, and here the straight is very long," Rossi said.

However, 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 Sunday."

Rossi set a new all-time Mugello lap record on his way to pole position inꩵ last year's event.

The Monster Yamah♑a rider is currently fourth in the world c꧋hampionship, 23 points behind Honda's Marc Marquez, but is without a win since Assen 2017.