Rookie Spies again turned on the style after running off track on the second lap.
Those who made it to the end survived multiple accidents, including one on the second lap, and 10 caution flags.
Holmes was sitting safely out of trouble one from the back throughout and stayed there during the second lap, another 64-second circuit.
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.
Alonso said he had made a mistake on his best qualifying lap, forcing him to qualify with a second lap after his tyres were past their best.
BBC: SPORT | Motorsport | Formula One | Bahrain Grand Prix as it happened
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.
"It was looking really good and I had just done the fastest lap of the race again - I think I did it on the second lap and then again on lap 10, " he said.
The decisive moment in the race came when he was able to pass Lewis Hamilton's McLaren at the start of the second lap, while his main rival for race victory Sebastian Vettel was stuck behind the world champion for the entire first stint.
Lap times on the 2013 tires are expected to increase by around half a second a lap.
Vettel's second fastest lap was in sharp contrast to Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber's performance, with the Australian's car suffering suspected engine failure.
The 23-year-old shaved about half a second a lap out of Raikkonen's lead and was within two seconds of the Ferrari by lap 31.
Drivers can often be heard talking about their teams needed to improve their cars, about finding the elusive few tenths of a second per lap that will move them up the grid.
The seven-time champion closed in on his former team-mate at more than a second a lap, and was right on the Honda's tail with two laps to go, but the Brazilian was equal to the challenge and held the German off.
BBC: SPORT | Motorsport | Formula One | Alonso survives Monaco thriller
Used judiciously, KERS should offer three-tenths of a second gain per lap a lot when the difference between coming first or second can be a few hundredths of a second.
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.
The teenager was never going well on Monday and finally gave up the ghost down the back stretch of the second and final lap.
The Italian and the German were nose-to-tail, with Hamilton right behind them, until the McLaren and the Toyota made their second and final stops on lap 37.
"At the end that was as far as I could get out my lap, " said Hamilton, who actually did a lap in the second qualifying session that would have put him on pole had he repeated it.
BBC: Sebastian Vettel beats Lewis Hamilton to Abu Dhabi pole
Mercedes' Nico Rosberg, who set the fastest time in first and second qualifying sessions, retired on lap 27 due to an electrical failure, while Sauber driver Nico Hulkenberg did not even start the race due to a fuel-system problem.
From his position at the head of the grid, Vettel never looked in any danger of being caught and -- apart from briefly conceding his lead to Webber after making his second and final pit stop on lap 45 before regaining it two laps later -- the result was never in doubt.
Felipe Massa had been lightning quick in Friday's practice sessions but he was delayed behind traffic on his last lap and lines up in second.
After three of the four days of running, Schumacher has set the fastest time in Jerez with a lap he recorded on the second day.
Vettel had briefly taken second from the Englishman on the first lap, only for Hamilton to pass him back around the outside of Turn Three.
After the first lap, Anstey's lead was already 13 seconds, and it was pushed out to 23 seconds after lap two when the Kiwi bettered his new lap record by almost a second.
BBC: Anstey pushes his bike to the limit around the TT course
Alonso's quickest lap lifted him clear of second-placed Sebastien Buemi of Toro Rosso with local hero Rubens Barrichello of Brawn GP third -- as he aims for the victory that will keep his slim world title hopes alive.
World champion Valentino Rossi remained upright throughout, and pinched second place on the grid with his last lap.
Franchitti's Honda-powered Lola pulled away to a 2.6-second lead at the end of the first lap and he cruised to the eighth win of his career.
Similarly, Williams was disappointed with second place, leaving Greene to do a lone lap of honour.
应用推荐