Alpine star Pierre Gasly is out of the Miami Grand Prix after a terrifying collision flipped his car over just six laps into the race.

As they approached a tight bend on Turn 17, Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson locked up on the inside of Gasly and accidentally clipped his car in the process.

The contact flipped the Frenchman over and sent him crashing into the wall, before he quickly signaled that he was OK after his car came to rest on top of the barriers.

Both men emerged from the collision unscathed; though like Gasly, Lawson was also forced to retire from the race due to the damage to his own vehicle.

After being made to report to F1 stewards over the incident, the New Zealander explained that he suffered a sudden gearbox failure going into Turn 17.

Lawson also apologized to Gasly over the crash that ended both of their races early, according to F1 journalist Thomas Maher.

They were not the only drivers to crash out of Sunday's Grand Prix early on, nevertheless.

After starting the race from the pitlane, Isack Hadjar clipped one wall and appeared to break his front suspension in doing so, before driving straight into another barrier on Turn 13.

Hadjar, who was disqualified from qualifying on Saturday due to a technical infringement, was seen smacking his steering wheel and helmet in anger after crashing out of the race. 

The F1 showpiece got underway three hours earlier than planned on Sunday amid the threat of a potential thunderstorm in Miami, forcing race organizers to move it forward from 4pm ET to 1pm.

A statement from the FIA, Formula One and Miami Grand Prix confirmed: 'The decision has been taken to move the start of Sunday's Miami Grand Prix to 1pm in Miami.

'This decision has been taken to ensure the least amount of disruption to the race, and to ensure the maximum possible window to complete the Grand Prix in the best conditions and to prioritise the safety of drivers, fans, teams and staff.'

A number of A-list stars attended Sunday's race, including soccer legend Lionel Messi. 

Less than two hours out from the Grand Prix, Messi was spotted arriving at Miami International Autodrome with his wife Antonella and their three sons.

At one stage the Argentina World Cup winner, who is currently in his fourth season with Inter Miami, posed for a snap with Alpine driver Franco Colapinto and his girlfriend, actress Maia Reficco.

Messi was not the only sporting icon in attendance, with tennis great Rafael Nadal also heading to the Autodrome to take in the F1 action.

Nadal was seen chatting with Spanish drivers Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz before the race, as well as LIV Golf star Jon Rahm.