MONZA, Italy- The Italian Grand Prix was halted on Sunday to allow for repairs to the tyre barrier after Ferrari's Charles Leclerc crashed heavily at Parabolica.

Leclerc, whose team mate Sebastian Vettel had already retired with brake failure, clambered out of the car apparently unscathed.

"It's a big crash," the Monegasque said on the team radio.

Mercedes' six times world champion Lewis Hamilton was leading the race but had yet to serve a 10 second stop/go penalty for entering the pit lane after it had closed.

(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Jason Neely) ((alan.baldwin@thomsonreuters.com; +442075427933;))