Russell snatched pole position in Montreal by beating Verstappen by 0.160 seconds to grab the fastest time in qualifying.
Lando Norris could manage only seventh place and starts behind Kimi Antonelli, Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso.
The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve plays host to the 10th race of an enthralling F1 campaign so far that has seen an intriguing title battle develop between McLaren team-mates Piastri and Norris.
The reigning four-time world champion – 49 points behind leader Piastri in the title race – is now just one more penalty point away from an automatic one-race suspension and will hope to avoid any more punishment in Canada, where he has won the last three races in succession.
When is the Canadian Grand Prix?
The 2025 Canadian Grand Prix takes place on Sunday, June 15 at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Quebec.
Canadian Grand Prix start time
The race is due to start at 7pm BST on Sunday evening, which is 2pm local time in Montreal.
Canadian Grand Prix schedule
The first practice session took place on Friday evening as Verstappen set the early pace and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc crashed out, with a second to follow from 10pm BST.
Russell pipped Verstappen to pole in qualifying on Saturday night.
As noted, the race itself gets underway at 7pm BST on Sunday night.
Error: Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc crashed out in the first practice session at the Canadian Grand Prix on Friday
REUTERS
Canadian Grand Prix grid positions
*Tsunoda has a 10-place grid penalty for overtaking Oscar Piastri in red flag conditions in FP3
How to watch Canadian Grand Prix
TV channel: Every session from the Canadian Grand Prix can be watched live via Sky Sports’ dedicated F1 channel.
Coverage of Grand Prix Sunday begins from 6pm BST. Free-to-air highlights are being broadcast at midnight on Channel 4.
Live stream: Sky Sports subscribers can view all the action from Montreal online via the Sky Go app.
Canadian Grand Prix weather forecast
Sunny and dry weather is currently being forecast across the race weekend in Montreal, with temperatures reaching a high of 22 degrees on Saturday and 24 degrees on Sunday.
There looks to be very little chance at the moment of any rain to disrupt proceedings, as we have seen happen many times in the past at this circuit.
