F1 Monaco GP live commentary and updates - Race

Hamilton emerges P3, into that yawning gap between Leclerc and Hadjar.

Hamilton pits at the end of lap 28. Hard tyres go on.

Lap 27, Hadjar goes straight on at the chicane and Russell is straight on the radio to declaim "a lasting advantage" - this is the bar for determining whether a driver needs to hand a position over in these circumstances.

Indeed, the Gasly/Norris battle is getting closer to the Hadjar/Russell group too. Liam Lawson in a little race of his own in P9 behind all this.

That battle is now 39s behind the leader. Piastri is cruising up to the back of it at around seven tenths a lap.

Lap 25 and Russell has a look around the outside at the chicane, but Hadjar manages to keep the door closed - just!

Antonelli now has 14s in hand over Leclerc, which is enough to pit under a safety car and emerge ahead.

Antonelli has strung out the gap to Hamilton to 8.132s on lap 24. Looks like he's stretching the legs of the Mercedes now.

And the F1 TV feed cuts to thesp Cynthia Erivo. *drinks*

(a WKD would probably be the appropriate beverage)

Lap 22, Hadjar locks up into the chicane but just about stays ahead of Russell. Antonelli is now lapping two and a half secondss faster than his teammate because of this.

"Something's going to explode," says Hadjar. His temper, we think.

"We're looking into it," Hadjar is told.

"Look faster!" he rejoinders.

Norris, we should note, is about the same margin away from Gasly.

"The engine braking is a joke. What's happening?" says Isack Hadjar, rapidly becoming the moaniest driver in F1. Russell all over him now – shades of Mansell and Senna in 1992.

Russell in conference with his pitwall, who ask how much faster he'd be in clear air. About a second a lap, he reckons.

And we have a second DNF of the day: Valtteri Bottas brings it into the garage.

Russell reporting that Hadjar has graining on his front-left, and is likely due a stop imminently. That's interesting given Pirelli prognosticated a medium-soft one-stop race.

"No front, no rears, no nothing," complains Hadjar.

Hamilton complaining "there's a lot of deg on these tyres", and that's unexpected. Pirelli suggested it would be minimal, but obviously the teams haven't done much running on the C4 so far this weekend.

Leclerc 4.7s further adrift. 6.7s the gap from him to Hadjar – who has Russell tucked under his rear wing. Piastri then seven seconds off the Mercedes.

Looks like the leading group has settled into tyre management mode, lapping in the 17s - Antonelli 3.6s ahead of Hamilton in P2 on lap 14 of 78.

Antonelli lost a second and a half of his lead to Hamilton while lapping those cars.

Ocon into the pits as Perez also visits to serve his penalty. Hard tyres for the Haas.

Antonelli already coming up to lap Bearman and Bottas.

Drive-through penalty for Perez - out of position on the grid. Replay suggests he might have pulled into Bortoleto's box...

Antonelli has cleared off to the tune of 5.5s as the lap count knocks on the door of double figures.

Cadillac clearly looking to pick up track position when others pit ahead, quite smart given the cars' positions in the field... but Bottas now reporting smoke from his front brakes again.

So that's Perez, Alonso, Stroll, Bottas, Bortoelto and Bearman as the early visitors to the pitlane. The Aston Martins on softs – of course! Why make life easy?

Perez now being investigated for a startline infringement.

No further investigation for Russell.

Having a look at the start and opening lap from various angles. Superb 'seizing of the moment' by Gasly to pass Norris at the exit of Ste Devote as the two McLarens duelled for position, while it looks like Bearman's front wing met teammate Ocon's car. That'll be a tasty debrief.

We were about to nod to Perez for bagging a few positions at the start but the Cadillac has popped into the pits to swap those softs for mediums.

Russell 'noted' for being out of his box on the grid.

Well that stop could pay off for Bortoleto. Those hards can easily last the whole race.

Bearman into the pits for a new front wing, Bortoleto also stops – hards on, softs off – and Verstappen brings his car to a halt in the box.

A clean getaway for Antonelli and he leads the field on the opening lap. Hamilton, Leclerc, Hadjar, Russell, Piastri, Gasly, Norris, Lawson and Albon follow.

"What can I do?" asks Max.

"Just bring it home," he's told.

F1 TV's graphic listing Juan Manuel Fangio as the first Monaco Grand Prix winner. Strictly speaking that would be William Grover-Williams...

And we have the starting tyre compounds. Everyone on new mediums apart from the Cadillacs of Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas, who are launching on new softs.

Will Sergio Perez be able to profit from the empty grid slot ahead of him? The Ferrari-powered Cadillac ought to be brisk off the line...

Just under 10 minutes to go until the start. Bortoleto will be joining proceedings from the pitlane but Lawson's car has made it to the grid.

Of all the national anthems, Monaco's most resembles the theme tune to a WWII 'caper' movie from the 1960s.