Marc Marquez dominated the MotoGP Argentine Grand Prix, while Valentino Rossi secure his first podium since last year's Sachsenring race in second.
Marquez led from the start and proved untouchable, cruising to victory by 9.8 seconds aboard his Honda to take a slender lead in the championship.
The Honda rider seized the advantage off the line from pole, with Dovizioso falling in behind in second, while Yamaha's Maverick Vinales once again fluffed his launch and dropped to fifth.
Argentina GP: Riders' Standings | Manufacturer' Standings
At the end of lap one, Marquez was already a second clear of the pack, and effortlessly built on that advantage as Dovizioso engaged in battle with Rossi, Jack Miller [Pramac] and Franco Morbidelli [Sepang Racing Team] in the early stages.
Rossi put his works Yamaha in front of Dovizioso at the end of the first lap at Turn 13, but was defenceless as Dovizioso unleashed the power of his Ducati into the first corner.
The Yamaha rider made another attempt stick on lap six, but a mistake on the following tour at Turn 5 allowed Dovizioso back into second.
The pair continued to trade second over the next handful of laps, with Dovizioso able to resist Rossi's advances once back ahead on the 14th tour on the run into Turn 5.
They began to ease away from the chasing group behind, which now included Danilo Petrucci and the recovering Suzuki of Alex Rins, who started from 16th.
Rossi and Dovizioso ran line astern as they started the final lap, with the Yamaha rider launching a successful raid into Turn 7.
Dovizioso was unable to retaliate into the final turns, allowing Rossi to secure his first podium since last June, while Marquez took the chequered flag 12s up the road.
A late collision between Morbidelli and Vinales at Turn 7 released Miller into fourth, with Rins completing the top five ahead of Petrucci.
Takaaki Nakagami guided his year-old LCR Honda to seventh ahead of SRT's Fabio Quartararo, with Aleix Espargaro [Aprilia] and KTM duo Pol Espargaro roudning out the top 10.
Espargaro's Tech3 counterpart Miguel Oliveira was second-best KTM rider at the chequered flag in 11th.
Jorge Lorenzo recovered to 12th after dropping to last at the start on his Honda, with Cal Crutchlow following him home in 13th following an early ride through penalty for jumping the start.
The second Suzuki of Joan Mir joined Morbidelli and Vinales as retirements, while Avintia duo Tito Rabat and Karel Abraham also failed to finish after crashes.
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