Marc Priestley
Former F1 mechanic on BBC Radio 5 Live

It's one of the higher speed sections of the race tracks, this is one of the fastest parts of it and there is debris absolutely everywhere, it's not going to be a quick clean up.

Harry Benjamin
BBC F1 Commentator

There's been a huge shunt, there is debris, carbon fibre all over the track and a Red Bull that has been absolutely ripped to shreds. The drivers are all out of there cars.

Red flagpublished at 14:07 British Summer Time 26 May

14:07 BST 26 May

Lap 1/78

The rest of the field all head back to pits after a very early red flag is waved. The two Haas drivers had to start from the back of the grid and it looks like it was Nico Hulkenberg was the car to tag Red Bull's Sergio Perez.

Marc Priestley
Former F1 mechanic on BBC Radio 5 Live

Sainz had a brake issue coming up the hill, I have a feeling he might of had his brake lock on, there was smoke coming out of the car. I think that's a problem rather than driver error.

Red flagpublished at 14:05 British Summer Time 26 May

14:05 BST 26 May

We have a red flag already! It's the Red Bull of Sergio Perez and the two Haas drivers. there is debris all over the track.

Marc Priestley
Former F1 mechanic on BBC Radio 5 Live

It's all about getting tyre and brake temperature up to the required limit which means a little bit of weaving around [on the formation lap].

Charles Leclerc is off the line quickly and leads into the first corner. Oscar Piastri is under pressure from the Ferrari of Sainz but the McLaren manages to hold onto second place.

Oh no! It looks like Sainz picked up damage in that battle with Piastri!

Image source, Getty Images

Third time's a charm, Charles?

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Harry Benjamin
BBC F1 Commentator

Monaco is one of a kind, nothing matches Formula 1 in Monte Carlo, it's one of the most extreme circuits on the calendar, one of the oldest circuits on the calendar.

Ian Fergusson
BBC weather forecaster

A fine and dry day at the Principality with no risk of showers. Sea breeze from the SE. Air temperature is 21.3C and track currently 49.2C.

Quick reminder of how the Monaco Grand Prix grid.

The top four are starting on the mediums and George Russell, Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton just behind have gone for the hards. Yuki Tsunoda, Alex Albon and Pierre Gasly are also on the mediums.

Image source, BBC Sport

Jeremiah Kariuki: This is one race which unless there's a disaster with front starters, Red Bull isn't assured of a win. But anything is possible until the chequered flag.

Andrew Benson
BBC F1 correspondent in Monaco

Image source, Pirelli 2024

The Monaco Grand Prix tends to be a slow-burn race, dictated by ensuring optimum pit-stop timing, because of the difficulty of overtaking.

Tyre graining - where the surface tears and loses grip - will be a factor. If it happens at the wrong time, such as when a rival has pitted for fresh tyres and is trying to undercut, the driver suffering it will not be able to respond. Everyone will have it at some point, and it lasts in the region of 10 laps or so.

Then there is the influence of a potential safety car, real or virtual, or red flag. Charles Leclerc, on pole, will try to control the race at the front so it works optimally for his car on the tyres, and he will have help from team-mate Carlos Sainz, who is likely to try to create a gap for Leclerc to exploit somehow. This is how Ferrari orchestrated a win for Sainz in Singapore last year.

The preferred race strategy will be medium tyre followed by hard - or in reverse if a fast car is out of position, such as Sergio Perez an Fernando Alonso. Pit-stop time loss is about 20 seconds, half that under a safety car.

George Russell starts in fifth, with his team-mate Lewis Hamilton down in seventh, he told Sky Sports: "It's going to be interesting to see what happens with the Ferrari and the McLaren up front, whether Carlos [Sainz] is going to play a bit of a game to try and help Charles [Leclerc] win the race."

Image source, Getty Images

Things have become a little closer as the campaign progresses but Red Bull are still top of the constructors’ championship, leading second-placed Ferrari by 56 points.

Another good points haul for McLaren has added to their tally in third and handed the team a 75-point buffer to Mercedes in fourth.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Here's how the two title races look as we gear up for round eight.

Max Verstappen leads the drivers’ championship by 48 points following his Imola victory, but it’s not Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez who sits in the runners-up spot now – it’s Charles Leclerc.

Perez drops down to third after finishing eighth last weekend, and with Lando Norris’ claiming another podium spot, the Mexican is only six points clear of the Briton, who sits in fourth.

Towards the lower end of the top 10, a dreary Emilia Romagna Grand Prix for Fernando Alonso means the Spaniard has been overtaken by Lewis Hamilton for eighth place, with just two points separating the pair.

Lando Norris will start in fourth in the McLaren, he told Sky Sports: "I need to overtake a car. There's two things, it's start and it's strategy, we will do what we can and there's not a lot of opportunity.

"There's a few opportunities but it's about maximising them, we've got a plan and we will stick to it and do the best we can."

Saturday's pole position was Charles Leclerc's 24th of his career, Ferrari's 13th in Monaco and the team's 250th overall.

Number 24 for Leclerc also places him second behind seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher on Ferrari's all-time poles list.

Image source, EPA

Liverpool star Virgil Van Dijk spoke to Sky Sports on the grid walk, he said: "It's a really nice experience, obviously it was always going to be a special experience coming here. I'm very happy to be here.

"The weather helps a lot and everything around it. I don't know how they [the drivers] cope with all that tension, not even an hour before the race is crazy, so a lot of respect."

Image source, Getty Images