Image: Supplied.

Andre Dovizioso admits he couldn’t shake off or pass Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) in a duel that came down to the final lap of Argentina’s grand prix last weekend, with the round one winner ultimately accepting third position.

The duo engaged in battle for much of the race as the Mission Winnow Ducati talent holding down second, however when Italian compatriot Rossi made the move on lap 25, Dovizioso deemed it too risky to earn back the position.

“I’m undoubtedly happy with the podium, which was our goal ahead of this round on a historically difficult track for us,” Dovizioso explained. “On the other hand, I’m not particularly satisfied with how the rear tyre performed, because we couldn’t pull away towards the end of the race, which is the opposite of what we expected in light of what we’ve seen during practice.

“In the last lap, I couldn’t shake off Rossi or pass him back, it would have been too risky and 16 points are still very important for us. For sure, we collected some interesting data, which we’ll analyse in depth ahead of next race. Austin is yet another tricky track for us theoretically, so our goal in Texas will be to try to step once again on the podium.”

Reigning champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) captured a commanding victory at the second round, snatching the points lead from Dovizioso in the process. Circuit of the Americas will host round three on 14 April.