Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton has taken pole position for the 2017 Canadian Grand Prix after a record-breaking lap around the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
The three-time Formula 1 champion equalled Ayrton Senna’s tally of 65 poles, second in the all-time list, with a 1:11.459, the quickest lap in the track’s history.
After the first runs in Q3, it was close between Hamilton and Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel. But, Hamilton found three tenths on his final attempt while Vettel only found a small improvement.
Hamilton snatched pole, with Vettel in second and Valtteri Bottas third. Kimi Raikkonen was a slightly distant fourth, compared to his team-mate.
Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo were next up for Red Bull, ahead of Felipe Massa and the Force India duo of Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon. Nico Hulkenberg completed the top 10.
Daniil Kvyat narrowly failed to progress through to Q3, and ended his session with a right-rear puncture after a clash with the wall at the exit of Turn 9.
Fernando Alonso qualified 12th on his F1 return, with fellow Spaniard Carlos Sainz Jr bouncing back from an early spin but only managing 13th.
Romain Grosjean was the fourth driver eliminated in Q2 for the Haas team, while Renault’s Jolyon Palmer rounded out the runners in the second segment of qualifying.
McLaren’s Stoffel Vandoorne survived an early brush from the barrier but was the first to be eliminated in Q1, with several laps being ruined by a late yellow flag for Pascal Wehrlein’s Sauber.
Home favourite Lance Stroll was also knocked out of qualifying in 17th, ahead of Haas driver Kevin Magnussen and Sauber’s Marcus Ericsson.
Wehrelin brought out the yellow flags in the final moments of the session after clipping the grass, losing the rear and crashing at the first corner, finishing Q1 at the bottom of the timesheets.
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