Nobody has beaten Marc Marquez more during last lap MotoGP showdowns than Andrea Dovizioso, most recently at the Qatar season opener.

But even the Ducati rider, title runner-up to Marquez for the last two seasons, knows there are days or weekends when the Honda rider is simply unbeatable.

One of those 'moments' was at Termas de Rio Hondo on Sunday, when the reigning five-time MotoGP champion disappeared from pole position to a near ten-second victory.

"When Marc is like this, he is unbeatable," Dovizioso said. "Unfortunately, this is nothing new!

"In some tracks, in some moments, with Marc we have to look at the big picture and try to bring the maximum points."

Under such circumstances the maximum points would be second place, which Dovizioso came within half-a-lap of achieving.

The Ducati rider had been shadowed by Yamaha's Valentino Rossi for most of the race, giving the #46 plenty of time to plan his successful Turn 7 pass.

"Our target is the podium and we did it, so about that we are happy to make up important points at a bad track, but I'm not too happy in the way the tyre worked during the race," Dovizioso explained.

"I couldn't be fast as I wanted in the last ten laps, to create the gap to Vale, so Vale was able to study very well my way to ride and create the overtake on the last lap.

"I couldn't answer, but third is okay. It will be very important to analyse and understand what we can improve."

Nonetheless, it was a 'huge' improvement on last year's Termas de Rio Hondo form.

"Last year I was minimum one-second slower than today. I think our improvement is huge and that's why the target was the podium and we did it," Dovizioso said. "So we have to be really happy about that.

"It's not enough because we fight with great riders, but I think our speed, I was constantly second during the race. Last year I finished sixth because a lot of riders made crazy things and crashed. So I think the improvement is huge."

Dovizioso is now four points behind Marquez in the world championship standings.