Andrea Iannone wiped himself a🌜nd Ducati team-mate Andrea Dovizioso out of a double podium finish, just metres from the end of the Argentine MotoGP.

Iannone began the race making contact with Marc Marquez a♛t turn one and ended it with a dubious lunge inside Dovizioso to try and snatch second at the penultiཧmate corner.

ꦗInstead, he skittled them༒ both into the gravel and was later handed a three-place grid penalty for next weekend's Austin round, plus a penalty point.

While Iannone was out on the spot, the pair were so near to the🧔 finish that Dovizioso pushed his machine over the line in 13th.

"I'm okay. I'm just disappointed," Iannone said. "For sure I worry for the team and my team-mate Andrea. It is a very difficult because, yes, I went down and touch Andrea. Both me and Dovizioso would have been on the podium so to finish💖 the race in this way is unbelievable.

"I didn't brake too late. I braked in the same point, but I stayed a little b꧟it more inside b🐟ecause I had Andrea on the outside... I've been in Race Direction. But for sure I will say sorry to Andrea. Fortunately, I have a good relationship with him.

"I was fast all weekend, in the dry and wet, and hav♛e a really high potential. For sure this is a disaster, but is like this💝."

Ducati Corse Sporting Director Paolo Ciabatti declared: "Trying the extreme pass at the last corner is good if yo🎀u're going to win the last race. I don't think in the second race, when you are second or third. That's the only regret we have.

"Andrea Iannone was riding a great race after a difficult start🍎 and I know he is the first to be upset with what happened. It would be a night when we would have been out drinking beers together and I🍷 think instead we're going to go to bed very early."

The incident handed Valentino Rossi second place with Marquez's Honda team-mate Dani Pedrosa promoted to third. 𒁏It also meant that, instead of being just one point behind new title ﷽leader Marquez, Dovizioso is 18-points behind.

Iannone meanwhile is yet to score, having also f🍬allen during the opening round in Qatar, when Dovizioso finished second to Jorge Lorenzo.

The pair are under pre🎃ssure to perform given the rumours that reigning world champion Jorge Lorenzo could join the team in 2017.