By rights, the F12 shouldn't be able to do what Ferrari says it can do, which is to lap the Fiorano circuit, the company's time-honored reference track, in 1:23.
WSJ: 2012 Ferrari F12 Berlinetta Review: Tech That Makes Drivers Into Gods | Rumble Seat by Dan Neil
While the top teams prospered, the three new lineups, Virgin, Lotus and Hispania, struggled and will occupy the last six places on the 24-car grid for Sunday's 49-lap race at the Sakhir circuit.
Holmes was sitting safely out of trouble one from the back throughout and stayed there during the second lap, another 64-second circuit.
He was passed by McLaren's Lewis Hamilton on the final lap at Brazil's Interlagos circuit, which promoted Hamilton to fifth, enough for the Englishman to claim the drivers' championship.
The 39-year-old, who was third in qualifying, recorded the second-fastest lap in the minor series event at the Misano circuit in Italy.
And Hamilton, who leads the drivers' championship standings by six points, timed his lap to perfection on the fast and flowing Spa circuit.
At the Barcelona circuit, which hosts the Spanish Grand Prix, many cars set lap times in testing this month that were quicker than pole position for the 2012 race.
In addition, the first fence almost never produces a faller on the second circuit: Since 2000, just six horses have fallen there on the second lap of the course.
Two weeks after the team's double third-lap retirement in Malaysia, Button could not get to grips with the circuit, though he did finish one place ahead of team-mate Takuma Sato.
Alonso lost vital time and gave up on the lap and he could not set a quick-enough time on his final circuit to go through.
The second Audi, piloted by Capello Scot McNish and seven-time winner Kristensen, led for over 16 hours, with McNish setting a new lap record of three minutes, 27.204 seconds on the 8.45-mile circuit along the way.
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