Petronas Yamaha’s Valentino Rossi will return to the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli for the first of two official test days on Tuesday despite having no new parts as he winds up his final MotoGP season.

Having shown promising pace on Sunday, Rossi was rueing his qualifying crash, knowing that with a better start there was more potential from his home race than he was able to muster on the day.

“Unfortunately the crash of Saturday make me start in 23rd and this is a problem,” Rossi explained on Sunday evening.

“At the beginning, I was able to recover some position in the first corner but after, in the turn four, have some confusion, some touching and at the end I was outside and I have to go out of the track, I lose time and I was last. From that moment I tried to ride, I tried to push and my pace was decent. I was able to make some overtaking - Dovi, Oliveira, Morbidelli and I was with Petrucci and I think that I was P3 when I fight with these names! - but unfortunately, the position was a bit worse,” he joked.

“But anyway the shame is that it was not enough for the points. The race was very tough but the pace was quite good. After was good at the end, after the flag, with all the fans, was an emotional moment and I enjoy.”

The Italian was also proud to be celebrating the talents of the many riders he has nurtured and inspired over the past few years, with VR46 Academy riders enjoying multiple successes at their home track.

“Is great, is something special,” he said of the achievements. “Today, it was a good day for the Academy riders, because we did the double podium in Moto3 with Migno and Antonelli and I’m very, very happy for them - especially for Migno, because Antonelli already make the podium in Silverstone, and also Migno deserved - they make a fantastic race.

“Also the second victory in a row for Pecco. Pecco make two pole position with the lap record, and two victory, leading more or less all the laps. I think that Pecco is always very fast this year but the victory in Aragón give him something more, like mentally unblocked.

“So I think that now will be a very, very good fight, especially with Quartararo, to follow, because I think that they are the two faster riders of the season. Is a shame that Pecco lose a lot of points at the beginning of the championship but anyway the championship is not over yet and I think that we can see a very good fight to the end.”

Rossi has a lot of experience riding with MotoGP’s newest winner and rising star, including a multitude of track days on their respective road bikes around the Rimini layout, so he was in no doubt of the 24-year-old’s potential.

“Yes, Pecco is always very, very fast with the Panigale in Misano, he did an incredible lap time. He ride so well. Usually, Pecco and Luca, also Luca ride the Panigale, they are faster than us with the R1, also because the Panigale is a lot faster, have a lot more horsepower. Usually we fight more with Bezz [Marco Bezzecchi}, because we stay together with the R1. But Pecco is very, very strong, and in the last year, he raised his riding to a better level.

“I think that Italy in MotoGP is in a good situation, also without me, and this is positive for all the movements in Italy. I think that we will have Pecco that can fight for the championship already this year and also next year. I think that next year will be very strong also Franco Morbidelli, because with the factory Yamaha he is very fast and very strong. So I think that he can fight for the championship. From the Academy side we will have also, my brother, and maybe Bezzecchi, now is not decided yet, is not official but I think that they are two very fast riders, like they demonstrate in the Moto2. And also Bastianini, Bastianini is not our rider, but today was impressive, incredible, he was very fast. All the weekend he ride like a devil and today in the race was impressive, he did also the fastest lap, so congratulations to him and I think that he can have a very strong future.”

Returning to the matter in hand, Rossi explained he would be out on track again this week for the MotoGP official test, but that the Petronas team have little in the bank in terms of upgrades as he approaches the final few races of his illustrious career, including a second outing at home.

“We decide to make the test, minimum Tuesday,” he confirmed. “I think just one day because we don’t have nothing to test but we try to work on some settings, the balance of the bike, on the tyres, for the bike to improve before the end of the championship.

“Misano II is a difficult date, because at the end of October all can happen, in Misano. You can have very cold, you can have hard rain, but also you can have a good weekend, is an Autumn weekend so we need to be lucky. The next one is in Austin. In Austin, the last time I was very strong, I like the track so we try, we will see there.”