Watch: Monaco Grand Prix red-flagged after first lap pile-up

A multi-car pile-up which ripped Sergio Perez’s Red Bull car apart forced the Monaco Grand Prix to be red-flagged after just one lap on Sunday.

Perez spun after being hit hard from behind by Kevin Magnussen’s Haas.

Nico Hulkenberg in the other Haas was a third innocent casualty.

All three drivers appeared unhurt.

For the Haas team this was further misfortune after both cars were disqualified from Saturday’s qualifying.

The race on the narrow streets of the Principality was stopped to allow debris to be cleared off the circuit.

Charles Leclerc escaped all the drama as the Ferrari driver aims to make it third time lucky by winning his home race for the first time after his last two attempts from pole ended disappointingly.

The red flag could turn out helping Leclerc as his Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz picked up a puncture in a separate incident and will now have effectively a free pit stop during the interruption.

The iconic grand prix restarted at 1344GMT with Oscar Piastri’s McLaren alongside Leclerc on the grid, Sainz and Lando Norris in the other McLaren on the second row, as Perez, Magnussen and Hulkenberg watch on frustrated from the pits.

Magnussen was downbeat reflecting on the dramatic incident.

“When he (Perez) went to the wall I just got pushed in, I trusted he was going to leave a space for me, it’s unfortunate, lot of cost to the team, and a missed opportunity today.”

His teammate Hulkenberg shrugged: “I was the unlucky victim there, wrong spot, wrong time, it’s not great to have both cars out.

“I don’t know what (the stewards) are going to do, we will see.”

A fourth driver, Alpine’s Esteban Ocon, joined this unhappy group of onlookers after he was forced to retire following a tangle with his teammate Pierre Gasly.

Three-time world champion and series leader Max Verstappen qualified in, for him at least, a poor sixth.