Rossi promises 'extra special' effort at Mugello

Valentino Rossi has promised an extra special effort as he aims to give his passionate Italian fans something to cheer at Mugello this weekend.

The pressure on Rossi and his team-mate to perform in front of thousands of partisan Ducati supporters in Italy will be immense.

Casey Stoner served up he ultimate treat when he put the Italian machine on the top step of the podium at Mugello in 2009, but even a rostrum finish on Sunday would represent a massive result for nine-times world champion Rossi.

The MotoGP superstar has an incredible record at Mugello, although he has failed to register a victory at the legendary circuit since 2008.

Rossi, who has racked up nine wins across all classes at the Italian Grand Prix, has pledged to dig deep as he bids to put a smile on the faces of the home crowd on Sunday.

"Last Sunday at the Sachsenring, we used a set-up that enabled us to be more consistent and to stress the rear tyre a bit less so that we still had a decent pace at the end of the race.

"It was our best result of the year so far in the dry, so now we'll start from that base in an effort to improve at Mugello," he said.

"It's the Italian Grand Prix, so everyone, including myself, must make an extra effort to do well in our home race.

"It's one of the nicest tracks in the world, in terms of the layout of the circuit, the atmosphere and all the fans that come to watch us and support us.

"We really have to try to do our best."