MONZA, September 6, 2026: Ferrari’s homecoming at Monza turned into a nightmare on Sunday as Charles Leclerc crashed heavily out of the Italian Grand Prix, bringing the race to a red-flag stoppage after just two racing laps.

Leclerc, starting near the front of the grid, lost control of his Ferrari at high speed on the exit of the Parabolica while battling for position with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri. The Ferrari snapped violently, ran across the gravel and slammed sideways into the tyre barriers, leaving the car badly damaged and ending Leclerc’s race. 

The Monegasque driver climbed from the wreckage under his own power and was subsequently checked by medical personnel. He was cleared after the assessment, providing some relief to Ferrari and the thousands of home supporters who had watched the crash unfold in disbelief. 

The incident nevertheless delivered another bitter blow to Ferrari at a circuit where the pressure on the Scuderia is always immense.

A Violent End After Just Two Laps

Leclerc’s race had barely begun when disaster struck.

The Ferrari driver was involved in a fierce early battle with Piastri as the field approached the final part of the lap. Under pressure, Leclerc appeared to lose the rear of his Ferrari on the exit of the Parabolica. The car snapped away from him before crossing the gravel and hitting the barriers at high speed. 

The impact was substantial enough to destroy a large part of the Ferrari and scatter debris around the circuit.

Race control immediately deployed the red flag, bringing the entire field into the pit lane while marshals worked to remove Leclerc’s car and repair the damaged tyre barrier. The stoppage lasted roughly half an hour. 

For Ferrari, the sight of Leclerc’s wrecked SF-26 being removed from the track was particularly painful. Monza is not simply another race for the Italian team—it is the spiritual centre of Ferrari’s Formula 1 identity.

Leclerc Had Already Been Involved in a Ferrari Flashpoint

The crash came after Leclerc had already been at the centre of an intense opening-lap battle with his Ferrari teammate Lewis Hamilton.

The two Ferrari drivers went wheel-to-wheel at the opening sequence of corners, with Hamilton eventually forced onto the gravel and losing positions. Hamilton expressed his frustration over team radio, suggesting that Leclerc had pushed him wide. 

Leclerc later acknowledged that the battle had been extremely close, saying he had been focused on making the corner and could only see the consequences of the incident through his mirrors.

The intra-team confrontation added another layer of tension to what was already becoming a difficult afternoon for Ferrari.

What Caused Leclerc’s Crash?

The precise circumstances surrounding the crash are being examined, but Leclerc himself indicated that the Ferrari had felt unusual under throttle during the early stages of the race.

He explained that he had experienced something that felt “weird” with the car on the previous lap and attempted to manage it again before the accident. 

The crash occurred while he was fighting with Piastri, making the combination of pressure, high speed and the characteristics of the Parabolica particularly unforgiving.

Formula 1’s official account confirmed that Leclerc suffered a major snap at the exit of the corner before crashing heavily into the barriers. 

Leclerc Walks Away, But Reports Vision Problems

The most important news for Ferrari was that Leclerc escaped serious injury.

After the crash, he was visibly shaken but was able to leave the car without assistance and was taken for medical checks. Ferrari subsequently confirmed that he was okay. 

However, Leclerc later revealed that he had experienced some initial vision problems following the impact and said he would undergo further precautionary checks. 

That detail is likely to be watched closely by Ferrari and the FIA, particularly given the severity of the accident.

Red Flag Throws Monza Into Chaos

With Leclerc out and the tyre barriers requiring repairs, the Italian Grand Prix was temporarily suspended.

At the time of the red flag, George Russell had moved into the lead, with Max Verstappen among the leading runners. The interruption reshuffled the strategic picture and created an opportunity for several drivers to rethink tyre and race strategy. 

The restart was delayed while the damaged barriers were repaired, turning what had been expected to be a high-speed Ferrari celebration into a tense and unpredictable afternoon.

And the drama did not end there.

Antonelli Turns Monza Into a Historic Italian Celebration

While Ferrari endured heartbreak, Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli produced one of the most remarkable performances of the weekend.

Starting from 19th on the grid, Antonelli charged through the field and ultimately won the Italian Grand Prix, becoming the first Italian driver to win his home race since Ludovico Scarfiotti’s victory in 1966. 

George Russell finished second, with Max Verstappen completing the podium.

For the Italian crowd, Antonelli’s extraordinary comeback provided the fairytale ending that Ferrari had been unable to deliver.

A Bitter Home Race for Ferrari

Ferrari’s disappointment was compounded by Hamilton’s difficult opening phase, leaving the Scuderia facing a frustrating home Grand Prix in front of its passionate supporters.

Leclerc had arrived at Monza carrying enormous expectations. As a two-time winner at the circuit, he remains one of the drivers most closely associated with Ferrari’s hopes of delivering glory at its home track.

Instead, his afternoon lasted only two racing laps.

The crash also raises questions for Ferrari about the behaviour of its car under acceleration and whether any mechanical or operational issue contributed to Leclerc’s loss of control. Leclerc himself said the team would need to investigate what he had felt before the crash. 

The Bigger Picture

For Leclerc, the immediate priority will be his recovery and the medical checks following the heavy impact.

For Ferrari, the questions are more complicated.

The team must establish exactly why Leclerc lost control, assess the damage to the car and understand why its home race once again became a source of frustration rather than celebration.

Monza demands speed, precision and absolute confidence. On Sunday, Leclerc had all three—until the Ferrari suddenly snapped away from him at the Parabolica.

The result was one of the most dramatic moments of the 2026 Italian Grand Prix: a Ferrari destroyed, a driver eliminated and a home crowd left stunned.

And while Leclerc walked away from the wreckage, Ferrari will be left wondering how a race that promised so much disappeared in the blink of an eye.