MONTREAL, June 15: Germany’s Ralf Schumacher seized his second successive pole position as Williams swept champions Ferrari off the Canadian Grand Prix front row on Saturday.

While McLaren’s championship leader Kimi Raikkonen suffered a nightmare afternoon, failing to clock a time after skidding off and clouting the tyre wall on his flying lap, resurgent Williams set the pace.

Ralf lapped the Gilles Villeneuve circuit, named after Canada’s late Ferrari driver, in one minute 15.529 seconds as the morning rain lifted.

His Colombian team mate Juan Pablo Montoya, winner of the season’s glamour race in Monaco two weeks ago, slotted in alongside him with a time 0.394 slower.

Grid positions:

1. Ralf Schumacher (Germany) Williams one minute 15.529 seconds; 2. Juan Pablo Montoya (Colombia) Williams 1:15.923; 3. Michael Schumacher (Germany) Ferrari 1:16.047; 4. Fernando Alonso (Spain) Renault 1:16.048; 5. Rubens Barrichello (Brazil) Ferrari 1:16.143; 6. Mark Webber (Australia) Jaguar 1:16.182; 7. Olivier Panis (France) Toyota 1:16.598; 8. Jarno Trulli (Italy) Renault 1:16.718; 9. Cristiano da Matta (Brazil) Toyota 1:16.826; 10. Heinz-Harald Frentzen (Germany) Sauber 1:16.939; 11. David Coulthard (Britain) McLaren 1:17.024; 12. Nick Heidfeld (Germany) Sauber 1:17.086; 13. Antonio Pizzonia (Brazil) Jaguar 1:17.337; 14. Jacques Villeneuve (Canada) BAR 1:17.347; 15. Jos Verstappen (Netherlands) Minardi 1:18.014; 16. Giancarlo Fisichella (Italy) Jordan 1:18.036; 17. Jenson Button (Britain) BAR 1:18.205; 18. Justin Wilson (Britain) Minardi 1:18.560; 19. Ralph Firman (Britain) Jordan 1:18.692; 20. Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) McLaren no time.—Reuters