The 2024 Monaco Grand Prix has been red-flagged for a huge opening-lap incident involving Red Bull's Sergio Perez and the two Haas cars.
Perez was being hounded by both the Haas VF-24s - which started at the back after being disqualified from qualifying for DRS wing gap non-compliance - coming out of Sainte Devote, and Kevin Magnussen's attempt to try to squeeze by on the right of the Red Bull proved disastrous.
With little room left by Perez, the two cars came together on the run up the hill, and Nico Hulkenberg was caught up in the resulting melee, too - lamenting the crash as "unnecessary" on the radio.
A big impact moments after the start but all drivers are out of their cars - Perez, Magnussen and Hulkenberg#F1 #MonacoGP pic.twitter.com/X83ZC7U2J3
— Formula 1 (@F1) May 26, 2024
It would've risked being a bigger crash had they run further up the order, but only Zhou Guanyu was behind the trio - and the Sauber driver slowed in time to avoid any consequences.
All the drivers involved were unhurt, but the incident requires a significant clean-up effort for debris.
"He clearly wasn’t leaving space," said Magnussen of Perez in the media pen.
"I thought he would. I had a good part of my front, my whole front wheel was ahead of his rear wheel. So I did expect him to be leaving room for one car to his right, especially as he didn’t have anyone on his inside. Then on his left there was a completely clear track. He just squeezed me into the wall.
"Not good to see both cars in one crash. It sucks. It’s a s**tty, s**tty situation."
Remarkably, the collision was just one of three separate opening-lap incidents - as up ahead third-place starter Carlos Sainz had made minor contact with Oscar Piastri coming through Sainte Devote that immediately slowed him with a puncture and went straight on later into the lap.
🔴 RED FLAG 🔴
— Formula 1 (@F1) May 26, 2024
Sainz runs off in Casino Square and there are three cars behind which have made contact #F1 #MonacoGP pic.twitter.com/qbrS4lQlTI
And meanwhile at Alpine, Esteban Ocon tried an audacious lunge at team-mate Pierre Gasly into Portier that created major contact, briefly sending Ocon's car airborne and leaving a shocked Gasly with apparent damage, too.
"What did he do?! What did he do?!" Gasly yelled on the radio.
The order will be reset to the original grid order, minus those whose cars are too badly damaged to rejoin, for a standing start, meaning Sainz - who did return to the pits under his own steam - gets third back.
Perez, Ocon and the Haas duo will not take the restart, which is due to happen at 15:44 local time, just under three quarters of an hour after the original start attempt.
