Last time out in Barcelona ended in controversy when a frustrated Verstappen rammed into the side of Russell's Mercedes, with the racing gods not missing an opportunity to pit the two against each other again as soon as possible.
Elsewhere at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, current championship leader Oscar Piastri qualified and is set to start third, whilst it was another tricky session for his team-mate, Lando Norris, who once again made too many mistakes when it came to the sharp end of qualifying.
Whilst Russell's Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli will start on the second row, next to Piastri, and be ready to support the Brit's efforts should he be needed, Verstappen and Red Bull will not have that luxury after Yuki Tsunoda qualified 11th.
And, to make matters worse, he will start the race 20th, having been given a 10-place grid penalty for violating the rules under a red flag in FP3.
The Red Bull stable didn't have their finest day in the stewards' office, with Isack Hadjar also given a three-place drop for impeding Carlos Sainz in Q1.
With the above said, here is the full starting grid for Sunday's grand prix, with any penalties handed out by the stewards applied.
NOTE: Yuki Tsunoda has been demoted from 11th to 20th thanks to a ten-place penalty for a red flag rules violation in practice, with Isack Hadjar being demoted from ninth to 12th for impeding.
How to watch the Canadian Grand Prix live on TV today
Viewers in the United States can watch today's Canadian Grand Prix live on ABC, whilst coverage is also available via ESPN+. Coverage of the race in Spanish will also be shown live on ESPN Deportes in the United States.
Meanwhile, viewers in Canada will be able to watch their home race live and for free on CTV.
Broadcast details vary depending on your location. Check below to see how to tune in for some major countries:
Country
Broadcaster(s)
United States
ESPN, ESPN Deportes
Canada
RDS, RDS 2, TSN, Noovo
Mexico
Fox Sports Mexico, Televisa
Latin America
ESPN
F1 action in 2025 is also available to watch via F1TV Pro in selected countries.