MONTREAL — Michael Schumacher of Germany won the Air Canada Grand Prix for the second year in a row and the sixth time overall on Sunday after holding off two Williams-BMW rivals.

The top four drivers finished the 69 laps of the 4.361-kilometre Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve within 4.4 seconds, with Schumacher's Ferrari only 0.7 seconds ahead of the Williams-BMW driven by his younger brother Ralf Schumacher.

"That's the ideal result," Michael Schmacher told reporters following the race. "It was a tight race, a tough race."

Juan Pablo Montoya of Colombia in a Williams-BMW was third, 1.3 seconds behind and the Renault driven by Fernando Alonso of Spain was fourth, 4.4 seconds back.

The second Ferrari, driven by Rubens Barrichello of Brazil was fifth, with Kimi Raikkonen of Finland in a McLaren-Mercedes sixth, Australia's Mark Webber of Jaguar seventh and Olivier Panis of France in a Toyota eighth.

Michael Schumacher previously won the Canadian Grand Prix in 1994, 1997, 1998, 2000 and 2002. Ralf edged his brother for the win in 2001.

Michael scored his fourth Grand Prix win of the year and moved past Raikkonen into first place in drivers' standings.

It was another disappointing home race for Jacques Villeneuve of Iberville, Que., who was forced to drop out after 16 laps with a problem in his front brakes.

"A break fluid leak, it never happens," said Villeneuve. "But it happened today. I don't know why."

It was the fifth time in eight races at the track named after his father that Villeneuve has failed to finish. After finishing second in his first Canadian Grand Prix in 1996, his best result was 10th in 1998.

Villeneuve had started 14th on the grid and worked his way up to ninth when he slowed down, with a train of cars lined up behind him. Five cars passed just before he went to the pits.

The cars broke cleanly from the start, with pole sitter Ralf Schumacher keeping the lead ahead of Montoya. But Montoya spun on the second lap and got back on track in fifth place.

A pair of duels formed, with Michael Schumacher pressing his brother at the front and Montoya, who passed Webber, on the tail of Alonso.

Ralf pitted on the 20th lap and Michael went in a lap later, but it was Michael who emerged from the pits in front and the two Schumachers circled the track only metres apart for lap after lap.

"The start went very well and I was just able to stay close in the right speed, in the right moment, to give us the lead," Michael Schumacher said. "Then, the mechanics did a great job on the pit stop to get me out in front."

Ralf went to the pits again on the 47th and Michael followed on the 48th, but again, the older brother came back onto the track ahead.

Raikkonen started from the back of the grid after spinning out in qualifying on Saturday. He worked his way up to fifth place by the 34th lap, but then lost the outer tread on a tire.

The McLaren-Mercedes ace than battled his way back to sixth place, but got stuck behind Barrichello's Ferrari.