Lewis Hamilton claimed pole position for Sunday’s Canadian Grand Prix with the fastest lap ahead of Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg in a close-fought qualifying on Saturday.

The defending three-time world champion, who revived his title defence with victory at last month’s Monaco Grand Prix, clocked a best lap in one minute and 12.812 seconds, quicker than the championship-leading German by 0.062 seconds.

It was the 53rd pole of Hamilton's career.

Both men were unable to improve their times on their final runs in the top-ten shootout but their earlier efforts were enough for them to lock out the front row for Mercedes again.

Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel was third for Ferrari ahead of Australian Daniel Ricciardo and his Red Bull team-mate Dutch teenager Max Verstappen with Kimi Raikkonen taking sixth place on the grid in the second Ferrari.

The two Williams cars of Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa were seventh and eighth ahead of Nico Hulkenberg of Force India and two-time world champion Fernando Alonso of McLaren.  

Source: AFP