Schumacher remained at Williams for 2004 and continued to be partnered by Montoya. Schumacher was ambitious for the season, saying: "I can say that we'll come up with a car that will be competitive from the very first race of the new season". He made a good start to his season by finishing fourth in the opening round in Australia, although he retired from the next race in Malaysia from an engine failure. He managed to secure consecutive seventh-place finishes in the next two rounds, before finishing outside the points in Monaco. Schumacher was forced into retirement on the opening lap of the European Grand Prix due to a collision. At the Canadian Grand Prix, Schumacher qualified on pole position and went on to finish second in the race, but was later disqualified for irregularities on his car's brake ducts.