Monaco GP chaos as 12-car pile-up ruins race with vehicles on top of each other

A horrifying 12-car pile-up saw the Formula Two feature race halted on the Monaco Grand Prix track. Alex Dunne and Victor Martins collided on Turn 1 as they attempted to take an early lead, causing several other cars to smash into each other.

Dunne started in pole position but Martin raced ahead on the opening straight. As he turned the first corner, the front of Dunne's car crashed into the side of his rival's, sending them both spinning into the outside barrier. Drivers desperately trying to avoid the crash subsequently smashed into each other in frightening scenes. Some cars momentarily landed on top of others in a clear risk to the safety of the drivers. They managed to return to the track.

Twelve cars were involved in the pile-up and the race was immediately halted with the waving of the red flag. Rather remarkably, nobody was hurt and the drivers headed back to their teams.

Martins was furious about the incident and blamed Dunne for causing the crash. "Who does he think he is, Max Verstappen?" broadcasters caught the 23-year-old ART Grand Prix driver raging to his team, referencing Verstappen's aggressive driving style.

He and Dunne were unable to continue the race. Race marshalls cleared an enormous amount of debris from the track and it became clear that many cars had suffered significant damage.

Incredibly, only 16 of the 22 cars were able to continue in the race. Dunne and Martins watched on from the side of the Monte-Carlo circuit as their collision ruled them out of the remainder of the event.

Cars and debris that had been left scattered across the track were eventually cleared. It was ruled that the restart would begin behind the safety car. The 16 vehicles remaining in the event lined up around half an hour following the initial crash.

Two further cars crashed out, leaving the Tecpro barrier in tatters. It was decided that the race would be halted with around six minutes remaining. DAMS driver Jack Crawford was crowned the winner of an incredible event that had further contention afterwards. Arvid Lindblad was handed a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane, stripping the 17-year-old of a podium place and elevating Sebastian Montoya into the top three instead.

Dunne's exit from the event could prove critical to his chances of winning the F2 Drivers' Championship. Leonardo Fornaroli was able to leap to the top of the overall leaderboard after finishing second.