Formula 1 – Monaco Grand Prix race LIVE: Start time, leaderboard and lap-by-lap updates as action comes to a halt as Sergio Perez is involved in huge crash during lap one

Lap 17: Valterri Bottas becomes the first driver to make a pit stop today as he switches to hard tyres.

Esteban Ocon will be given a grid penalty at the Canadian Grand Prix. Ocon had initially received a time penalty of ten seconds.

Lap 15: Piastri is closing the gap on Leclerc in an intriguing batte between the drivers in first and second place.

Lap 10: Leclerc remains in front as he aims to win his hometown Grand Prix.

Lap 8: Piastri, who is second place, has damage to his car.

Lap 4: Russell is just behind Norris as he looks to close the gap.

Lap 3: The race restarts, with Leclerc in front. This time, all of the cars manage to get past the first corner without incident.

Esteban Ocon is heading away from the pit lane, so his race appears to be over.

Hulkenberg speaking to Sky Sports: ‘It was short. I was the unlucky victim there. Bad timing. I don’t know what the stewards are going to do.’

Magnussen speaking to Sky Sports: ‘When he went to the wall I got pushed into the wall. I trusted he would leave a space for me. It’s unfortunate, it’s a lost of cost for the team and a missed opportunity.

It has been confimed that the race will now get back underway in ten minutes’ time – at 2.44pm

The clear up is continuing following the incident in the early stages of the race.

Sainz will start in third place when the race will get underway – Hulkenberg, Magnussen and Perez are no longer running.

A look at that major incident in the opening stages of the race

There’s lots of debris on the track following the incident, with the clean up operation underway.

Carlos Sainz suffered a puncture in the early stages of the race and there is a red flag. Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen were also involved in the incident. Sainz is now looking to continue.

Lap 1: The race is underway, with Leclerc starting well, while Piastri clings on to second place.

The formation lap is taking place. Will Leclerc achieve his dream of winning the Monaco Grand Prix?

Lando Norris speaking to Sky Sports: ‘We’ll do what we can, there’s not a lot of opportunities, but it’s about maximising them. We’ve got our plan an we’ll stick to it the best we can.’

It’s now time for the Monaco national anthem, with the race edging ever closer.

Yet another football star is in attendance in Monaco – Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk.

Van Dijk tells Sky Sports: ‘It’s a special experience. Let’s see what kind of spectacle the race will bring.’

The race is set to get underway at 2pm.

More football stars have been spotted at the Monaco Grand Prix, with Chelsea defender Ben Chilwell and Manchester United midfielder Mason Mount in attendance.

The pit lane is now open at Monaco as excitement continues to build ahead of the race.

Carlos Sainz to Sky Sports: ‘Since you’re a kid you always dream to drive a Formula One car around Monaco. It’s a very special podium.

‘We’ve all grown up watching this Grand Prix and dreaming of winning it.’

Sainz also commented on his future, saying: ‘I’m going to go to the place I feel most valued as a driver. For me the priority is always winning.’

‘Any of the top six or seven drivers can win a race right now.’

Kylian Mbappe, who started his career at Monaco, is amongst those in attendance at the Grand Prix.

Mbappe is expected to join Real Madrid this summer after announcing his departure from Paris Saint-Germain.

Verstappen speaking to Sky Sports: ‘We know that it’s a long race and normally you have to be patient. We have to be very open-minded. For us now it’s just trying to score as many points as we can and move on. We’ll see what we can do today.’

Max Verstappen starts in sixth place today but the world champion will still have hope that he can secure glory in the Monaco Grand Prix, as he did last year.

Today’s race is the first time this season that Verstappen hasn’t started on pole. He has managed to win five of the seven races so far.

This is an especially important race for Charles Leclerc in his home town. Having secured pole position, Leclerc will be determined to see off the fierce competition and prevail.

Leclerc has never previously finished on the podium at Monaco but he will be looking to change that.

Here’s a closer look at the famous track at Monaco. Who will come out on top in the eighth race of the season?

Welcome to Mail Sport’s live blog for what is set to be an entertaining Monaco Grand Prix.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc will start on pole, with Oscar Piastri of McLaren in second and Carlos Sainz of Ferrari in third.

World champion Max Verstappen, meanwhile, is only sixth, while Lewis Hamilton is seventh.