Charles Leclerc will be happy so far with the way this race is panning out, but that advantage over Oscar Piastri is coming down as the Monegasque tries to keep the rest of the field in check.

I'm just wondering why Russell is going so slowly compared to the four guys in front of him who don't have to stop we think.

I can only imagine that Mercedes are thinking they are stuffed and they cannot beat those four guys ahead.

George Russell in fifth also used the phrase "pootling around" in that radio message.

This is shaping up to be a long afternoon of radio messages between George Russell and his Mercedes engineer. The Briton wants to up the pace but the team say he has "nothing to gain" by going faster.

I spoke to Ocon and he said he was surprised. He said it was just an 'unfortunate incident' so he is actually being quite reserved in this.

Max Verstappen is behind the Mercedes of George Russell, both drivers now on the medium tyres. The Dutchman's engineer tells him they are not entirely sure why Russell is going so slowly.

The lap one, Turn One incident that was referred to on the timing screen of being under investigation and no further action, that was the Perez crash.

Now they are referring to the lap one incident between Sainz and Piastri has been noted as causing a collision.

I don't see how they can penalise Sainz and Piastri for that if they haven't penalised anyone for that huge pile up the hill.

Race leader and home driver Charles Leclerc is seven-tenths clear of Oscar Piastri in second place, but the Australian is doing a good job of keeping the gap under a second.

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George Russell doesn't sound thrilled with the previous message to wine and dine those medium tyres. The Mercedes drivers is concerned the cautious strategy could open up a pit window for McLaren and Lando Norris.

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Next on the team call of the car is McLaren to Oscar Piastri, who tell the Australian that the balance is looking OK, but they can see the some effects of that earlier damage with Carlos Sainz.

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George Russell is told by his engineers that there is no need to stick this close to Lando Norris, and just look after his medium tyres at this stage instead. The Briton responds that this is the best chance to perhaps put the McLaren in fourth under pressure.

Charles Leclerc just completed his second lap of the race 12 seconds slower than pole position, the fuel load weight accounts for about two [seconds].

He is managing his tyres in the extreme, in the attempt to try and get them to the end of the race.

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Monaco is four cars lighter at the restart, with Esteban Ocon added to the Perez-Magnussen-Hulkenberg group of retirees. Charles Leclerc is just under a second ahead of Oscar Piastri's McLaren out in front.

Leclerc now has the opportunity to control the pace of this race, and I suspect that pace is going to end up being quite slow.

Charles Leclerc is over the line in first place at his home race with the McLaren of Oscar Piastri and his team-mate Carlos Sainz just behind him. The medium runners of George Russell, Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton are in fifth, sixth and seventh respectively, but Russell is creeping up on fourth place Lando Norris.

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Nico Hulkenberg in the Haas told Sky Sports: "I was the unluckily victim there, wrong spot, wrong time, it's not great to have both cars out.

"I don't know what [the stewards] are going to do, we will see."

Back under way in Monaco! Charles Leclerc is free from danger out in front as Oscar Piastri stays in second and Carlos Sainz sits in third. A clean start for all the remaining drivers.

Those front four drivers who started the race initially on medium tyres, now are switching to the hard tyre to take the restart. That means they will have used both types of tyre which means they don't necessarily need under the regulations to make another pit-stop.

The top four - Charles Leclerc, Oscar Piastri, Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris - are all now on the hard tyres. George Russell, Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton just behind have to settle for the mediums.

Esteban Ocon is in his jeans and Alpine T-short, so I think we can say the Frenchman is not restarting this Monaco Grand Prix.