Rossi: Bastianini rode like a devil! Italy's future looks good

Valentino Rossi hailed an 'incredible' ride by rookie Enea Bastianini, who stormed from twelfth on the grid to claim a debut MotoGP podium at Misano.

Riding a 2019-spec Ducati for the Avintia team, Bastianini passed the likes of Joan Mir, Alex Rins, Pol Espargaro, Aleix Espargaro, Marc Marquez and Jack Miller - all on the latest factory machines - to stand on the rostrum alongside Francesco Bagnaia and Fabio Quartararo.

While Bagnaia, Franco Morbidelli and Bastianini's team-mate Luca Marini are all members of Rossi's VR46 Academy, Bastianini took his own path to the premier-class.

"Bastianini is not [a VR46] rider, but today was impressive. Incredible!" said Rossi on Sunday. "He was very fast. All the weekend he rode like a devil and today in the race he also did the fastest lap.

"So congratulations to him and I think he can have a very strong future."

While Rossi is bowing out of MotoGP at the end of this season, the form shown by countrymen Bagnaia, Morbidelli and now Bastianini - plus the planned move of Marco Bezzecchi alongside Rossi's brother Marini at the VR46 team next season - means The Doctor is confident Italy in general has a bright future in the sport.

"I think that Italy in MotoGP is in a good situation. Also without me. And this positive," Rossi said.

"We will have Pecco that can fight for the championship already this year and also next year. I also think Franco Morbidelli will be very fast and strong with a factory Yamaha, so I think he can fight for the championship next year.

"From the Academy side will have also my brother and maybe Bezzecchi, it's not official, but I think they are two very fast riders like they demonstrated in Moto2."

Rossi was speaking after finishing his own penultimate home MotoGP race in just 17th place.

Joking that he had won the over 35s race, "just me and Dovi!", Rossi explained that contact on the opening lap compromised his chances of points.

"The crash yesterday meant that I started the race today from 23rd, which was a problem. In the first corner I was able to recover some positions, but then in Turn 4 there was some contact and I had to go off track, which put me last," he said.

"After that I tried to push, my pace was decent and I was able to complete some overtakes. It’s a shame that it wasn’t enough to earn some points.

"After the flag it was really nice with the fans, a really emotional moment for me, and I enjoyed being able to do a lap of honour."

Rossi will join his rivals back on track at Misano on Tuesday for what is set to be his final MotoGP test before retirement.

"I think we will ride just one day [of two] because we don’t have nothing to test," Rossi said. "But we try to work on the balance of the bike, some tyres, to try to improve before the end of the championship."

That includes a return to Misano in October, for his final home race.

"It's a difficult date because at the end of October anything can happen in Misano, you can have very cold, hard rain but also a good autumn weekend. We need to be lucky," Rossi said.

"The next race is in Austin, where last time I was very strong, I like the track so we will see there."