Image source, Getty Images

An excited Fernando Alosno who will be starting on the second row alongside Max Verstappen's Red Bull said during the drivers parade: "We will have more chances this year than last year for sure, we have more pace in the car so, yeah, let's try to put some pressure on Max, it's going to be difficult. They are outstanding this year on everything so it's going to be difficult but we will try."

Image source, Getty Images

Fernando Alonso is waiting in the wings and hoping to "put some pressure" on Max Verstappen to see if any cracks appear in the dominant Dutchman.

"{Red Bull] have had very easy wins until now and hopefully tomorrow they have to push a little bit more," said Alonso, who will now line up alongside Verstappen in P2.

The Spaniard missed out on a podium place after a disappointing home grand prix in Barcelona last time out, so how does Alonso think Aston Martin and the rest of the field can close the gap on Verstappen and Red Bull?

"[By being] two seconds behind them, not 20 seconds behind them!" the 41-year-old joked.

Andrew Benson
BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer in Montreal

Image source, Getty Images

Max Verstappen was on pole by more than 1.2 seconds on Saturday. It was, of course, an outstanding performance by arguably the best driver in the field in undoubtedly the best car by far.

But the margin was partly explained by the fact that Verstappen was one of only three drivers in the top 10 - the others being Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg, who qualified second, and Alpine’s Esteban Ocon - who managed two flying laps before the red flag for Oscar Piastri’s crash. “We just made all the right calls at the right time on the track, you know, to do the lap times,” Verstappen said.

Image source, Getty Images

Montreal was Max Verstappen's third pole position in a row, his fifth of the 2023 season and the 25th of the Dutchman's Formula 1 career.

If Verstappen takes the chequered flag today for a sixth time this campaign, he will equal Brazilian three-time world champion Ayrton Senna's total of 41 wins.

He would need to bank another 10 victories to draw level with four-time title winner Alain Prost on 51, and then if he fancies matching former Red Bull driver and multiple F1 champion Sebastian Vettel, just two more wins would do for Verstappen to reach the German's tally of 53.

Image source, Getty Images

The hashtag is open for you to get your opinions out there for the world to see.

Is Max Verstappen a dead cert for another race victory in the Red Bull?

Will Canada be the grand prix Fernando Alonso collects that longed-for 33rd win?

Can Mercedes push on from their double podium in Spain?

Will more drivers get hot under the collar over Carlos Sainz getting in the way? Pierre Gasly certainly let his feelings known about the Spaniard's "extremely dangerous and unnecessary" antics in qualifying.

Send us your comments using the hashtag #BBCF1.

Andrew Benson
BBC Sport’s chief F1 writer in Montreal

Traffic was so bad into the track this morning, both Nyck de Vries and Kevin Magnussen had to abandoned their cars - on the road along the rowing basin of all places - to walk/run into the paddock.

Rosanna Tennant and the team look back at qualifying from Montreal. They hear from the top three and discuss how the race may play out.

Have a listen while we build up to the race today.

You'll find the podcast on BBC Sounds here

Nico Hulkenberg, who qualified an impressive P2 but now starts P5 after suffering a grid drop, said pre-race: "Bit of a shame, P5 if someone told us that on Friday we would have definitely taken it, still a very good starting spot for us. A bit of a different circumstance today, not sure what is going to happen but I feel ready to go and want to go race."

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Formula 1

Max Verstappen can take it easy and slot into his P1 grid box. The rest of the pack, however, has a bit of shuffling to do following the qualifying penalties.

Nico Hulkenberg slips down to fifth place from P2, promoting Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.

Carlos Sainz falls outside the top 10 and starts 11th, lifting his Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc, who didn't even make in out of Q2 on Saturday.

The second Aston Martin of Lance Stroll has a tough day in front of his home crowd in Montreal. The Canadian qualified in P13 but now finds himself towards the back of the field in 16th spot.

Yuki Tsunoda just has the Alfa Romeo of Zhou Guanyu for company in the last row.

Image source, Getty Images

A wet qualifying session on Saturday produced a shock face for the front row of the Canadian Grand Prix: Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg.

The German put his car second on the grid in Q3 as the rain began to fall heavily before Oscar Piastri crashed at Turn Seven.

Unfortunately, Hulkenberg won't get to sample starting a race next Red Bull's Max Verstappen as he was summoned to the stewards and given a three-place grid penalty for exceeding the speed limit under the red-flag conditions.

There were more grid penalties handed out after qualifying as Carlos Sainz, Yuki Tsunoda and Lance Stroll were all slapped with three-place grid drops for impeding Pierre Gasly, Hulkenberg and Esteban Ocon respectively.

Welcome in, folks. Happy Father's Day to all the F1 dads following along today!

After two days of unsettled conditions in Montreal, it looks like the race will be dry with just some light winds to accompany the 70-lap grand prix.

Lights out in Canada is at 19:00 BST.

Full commentary will be available to listen to on BBC Radio 5 Live, the BBC Sounds app and at the top of this page using the audio icon.

The stewards room was crowded following Saturday's qualifying session and as a result, the starting grid has been mixed up...

Max Verstappen wins the Canadian Grand Prix!

Might as well get the entry written now so we're prepared.

The reigning world champion will more than likely disappear off into the distance after lights out in Montreal but can the F1 gods spring a surprise and deliver a race winner other than a Red Bull car?

If not, then Fernando Alonso versus Lewis Hamilton behind the Dutchman looks like the battle to pay close attention to at the Canadian Grand Prix...

Image source, Getty Images