Charles Leclerc Smashes Ferrari Into the Barrier in Terrifying Italian Grand Prix Crash

Ferrari suffered a nightmare start at the Italian Grand Prix when Charles Leclerc lost control of his car at the beginning of the third lap and slammed into the barrier.

Leclerc had kept his position after an early duel with teammate Lewis Hamilton, who was forced off the track and onto the gravel. The Monegasque driver then left the circuit and hit the barrier heavily. His Ferrari sustained serious damage, ending his race abruptly.

Leclerc escaped injury, climbed out of the car unaided and sat at the side of the circuit, visibly shaken by the crash, motorsport.com reported. The incident also left several Ferrari supporters in tears after they saw the wrecked car.

Ferrari still had a chance through Hamilton, who stood eighth and could challenge for the podium with a strong strategy. Pierre Gasly led the restart, with George Russell behind him on medium tyres. Max Verstappen was third on soft tyres, while Franco Colapinto held fourth on mediums.

Kimi Antonelli, the overall championship leader, faced a difficult recovery after starting from the back row. He was due to return to the circuit from 12th place. Antonelli led Russell by 52 points, with 11 races remaining, including Monza. Alpine also had both drivers in the top four at the restart, raising the prospect of a surprise result.