BAR's Takuma Sato was fourth with a 1:18.540 lap, followed by Toyota test driver Ricardo Zonta, BAR tester Anthony Davidson and Williams' other test driver Antonio Pizzonia.

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For Ricker, who came into the Olympics race leading the World Cup standings, it was a victory lap which helped to avenge the fourth-placed finish she recorded in Turin in 2006.

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Kimi Raikkonen rediscovered his mojo, leaping from fourth on the grid to first by the end of lap two, capitalizing on a spin from polesitter Hamilton on a damp track.

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Smith was eighth but Simon came fourth after throwing away victory with a disastrous blunder with one lap left.

BBC: Simon unseats Smith in standings

"I tried to stay between second and fourth place for most of the race and on the final lap, when I got to the tunnel, by the river, my legs still felt good, " he said.

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Button started fourth but was up to third by the start of the second lap, crucially fighting off a challenge from Lewis Hamilton's improving McLaren.

BBC: Brilliant Button wins in Bahrain

Renault's Fernando Alonso chose the same tactic a lap later and it secured the double world champion the fourth place he had held for much of the race.

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