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

Riding a 2019-spec Ducati for the Avintia team, Bastianini passed the likes of Joan Mir, Alex Rins, Pol Espargaro, Aleix Esparg♊aro, 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 Morbide💞lli and Bastianini's team-mate Luca Marini are all members of Rossi's VR46 Acaജdemy, 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 heꦐ rode like a devil and today in the race he also did the fastest lap.

"So con♔gratulations💛 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 Itꦬaly in general has a bri🌟ght future in the sport.

"🌊I think that Italy in MotoGP is in a good𒁃 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 thi🐟nk he can fight for the championship next year.

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

Rossi༺ was speaking after finis𒀰hing 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 s🀅ome 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 t🍌hat it wasn’t enough to earn some points.

"Afterඣ the flag it was ꦉreally 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 Tue🍨sday 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 i📖ncludes 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 luck🦄y," Rossi said.

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