Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc suffered a high-speed crash on the second lap of the Italian Grand Prix at Monza on September 6, 2026. The incident at the Parabolica corner triggered a red flag and race suspension. Leclerc escaped unhurt, visiting the medical centre as a precautionary measure before release.
Formula 1’s return to Monza for the Italian Grand Prix delivered immediate drama on September 6, 2026, when Charles Leclerc crashed out on the second lap of the 53-lap race. Leclerc lost control of his Ferrari SF-26 on acceleration from the high-speed Parabolica corner, spinning off the circuit and slamming side-on into the tyre barriers.
The 28-year-old, who won Ferrari’s home race in 2019 and 2024, got out of the car unaided, having quickly exited his cockpit before being taken to a safe spot on the side of the track, where he sat down and was spoken to by trackside staff. The Monegasque soon jumped out of the car but then sat disconsolately on the grass as he was comforted by a marshal before being taken away in the medical car. He was feeling his neck as he went for treatment. According to live race data, Leclerc was officially classified as a DNF after completing just two laps. Leclerc entered Sunday with high hopes of fighting for a home victory. Following a post-qualifying steward summons that resulted in a grid penalty, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri was dropped down to sixth, promoting Leclerc to a highly competitive third-place start.
The impact brought an immediate halt to proceedings. Race organizers neutralized the event behind the Safety Car before deploying a red flag to suspend the race entirely, allowing track marshals time to repair the damaged tyre barriers and clear the heavily ruined chassis.
Tension at Turn One and the Build-Up to the Crash
The dramatic exit followed a contentious opening sequence between the two Ferrari teammates. Leclerc and Hamilton had looked well placed to attack from the second row of the grid but went into Turn 1 wheel to wheel. Neither driver backed down, with Hamilton eventually being forced onto the gravel and dropping down the order. The seven-time world champion dropped down to tenth place, unleashing his frustration over the team radio.
“Charles pushed me off!”
Lewis Hamilton, via New York Times
The incident came after Leclerc and Hamilton tangled into turn one at the start, with the Monegasque star squeezing Hamilton out into the chicane. Hamilton also reported a lack of power from his power unit and later suggested over the radio that discussions would continue after the checkered flag. The incident followed qualifying friction between the Ferrari drivers over towing strategies.
Before his accident, Leclerc had just been passed by Max Verstappen heading into the Parabolica, before Piastri dived inside on the inside of Parabolica. Leclerc managed to stay ahead of the McLaren on the outside of the corner, but lost control on exit before spearing into the barrier. As McLaren driver Oscar Piastri launched an inside move at the final Parabolica corner, Leclerc maintained position on the outside of the turn.
However, Leclerc dipped a wheel just off the circuit on the exit. The rear of his car lost grip, sending him spearing off the asphalt at an estimated 160 mph.
Medical Checks and Safety Precaution at Monza
Leclerc climbed out of the wreckage unaided. Television cameras captured the Monegasque driver sitting on the grass nearby, looking dazed with his head in his hands, before he was taken away in the medical car. Unofficially, the heavy impact was measured at 60G.
As standard protocol, Leclerc went directly to the circuit’s medical centre for precautionary evaluations. Ferrari confirmed shortly before the race resumed that he had been cleared without injury and released.
The crash bore a striking resemblance to Leclerc’s accident at the exact same section of the Monza circuit during the 2020 race, which also resulted in a red flag.
Race Standings and Championship Context
When the race was suspended, Mercedes driver George Russell held the lead after overtaking polesitter Pierre Gasly on the main straight at the end of the opening lap. Max Verstappen sat in third position, with Franco Colapinto running fourth for Alpine. Meanwhile, Kimi Antonelli had sliced through the field and was already up to 12th.
Russell entered the Italian Grand Prix weekend level on points with Hamilton, sitting 59 points behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli. Antonelli faced a grid penalty at Monza after Mercedes opted to change his power unit to mitigate reliability concerns for the second half of the season, leaving the young Italian to carve his way through the field from the back.
Following a 30-minute stoppage, the race resumed to allow the remaining field to complete the contest, leaving Hamilton to carry Ferrari’s hopes alone from eighth place on the restart grid.
