Verstappen takes pole position under rainy conditions at Canadian Grand Prix

Max Verstappen doesn't have a secret for driving in the rain, but it's something he's prepared himself for since he was young.

The Formula One leader weathered the storm Saturday and drove his Red Bull into the pole position in qualifying at the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal.

"I remember back in the go-karting days my dad was literally standing on the track telling me where to drive in the wet," said Verstappen. "It's a lot of feeling as well, knowing how to drive it, what lines to take. It's difficult to fully explain why that happens but it's something you have been learning since a little kid."

The 25-year-old posted a lap of one minute 25.858 seconds on a wet track at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve to secure his spot at the front of the grid in Sunday's race.

It's Verstappen's fifth pole of the season and the 25th of his career. The Dutch driver is chasing a fourth straight win and his sixth in eight races overall this year.

With a win Sunday, Verstappen would tie the late Brazilian icon Ayrton Senna for fifth all-time with 41 career wins.

Nico Hulkenberg surprised by finishing in second to give Haas what appeared to be its first-ever start in the front row. However, the German driver received a three-place grid penalty for red-flag infringement hours after the race.

Despite dropping, a fifth-place start is a good result for the seventh-ranked Haas, which is unlikely to finish as high on Sunday.

"We've got to be realistic. Recently, our race pace hasn't been the strongest," said Hulkenberg.

Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso moved up to second, seven-time Canadian Grand Prix winner Lewis Hamilton, who has never qualified outside the top-5 in Montreal, starts third and Mercedes teammate George Russel is fourth.

All three drivers are in a great position to secure points with several top cars starting from further back in the grid.

Red Bull's Sergio Perez and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, ranked second and seventh in the standings, both bowed out early and sixth-ranked Carlos Sainz received a three-place penalty for impeding Alpine driver Pierre Gasly.

As a result, Leclerc, Sainz and Perez will start 10th, 11th and 12th on Sunday.

"Obviously it's a massive opportunity for us," said Alonso, who's third in the drivers' standings. "In terms of points for the constructors and multiple drivers, eventually, if [Perez] is not scoring too many points."