[1/2] Formula One F1 - Canadian Grand Prix - Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal, Canada - June 17, 2023 Red Bull's Max Verstappen poses with former F1 driver Jean Alesia after qualifying in pole position REUTERS/Mathieu BelangerMONTREAL, June 17 (Reuters) - Formula One championship leader Max Verstappen put his Red Bull on pole position for the Canadian Grand Prix after heavy rain shook up qualifying on Saturday. Lewis Hamilton, a seven-times winner in Canada, will line up fourth with his Mercedes team mate George Russell fifth. The pole, in a time of one minute and 25.858 seconds, was the 25th of Verstappen's career. Verstappen started from pole last year and held off Ferrari's hard-charging Carlos Sainz for his 26th career win. Fast forward one year and Verstappen with another victory on Sunday can bring his career total to 41, matching Brazilian Ayrton Senna's haul.

---

Persons: Gilles Villeneuve, Max Verstappen, Jean Alesia, Mathieu Belanger MONTREAL, Bull, Germany's Nico Hulkenberg, Haas, Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, George Russell, Verstappen, Carlos Sainz, Ayrton Senna's, Sergio Perez, Red Bull, Perez, Christian Horner, Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, Aston, Lance, Williams Alex Albon, McLaren's Oscar Piastri, Hulkenberg, Pierre Gasly, Frenchman, Sainz, Steve Keating, Alan Baldwin, Ed Osmond Organizations: Prix, REUTERS, Canadian, Aston, Ferrari, Thomson Locations: Montreal, Canada, Holland, London