The Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup season-opener has been red flagged following a massive start crash that has taken more than a dozen cars out the race.

Contact between the No. 7 Bentley Team M-Sport Bentley Continental GT3 of Guy Smith and the No. 19 Grasser Racing Team Lamborghini Huracan GT3 of Ezequiel Perez Companc sent the Lamborghini onto the grass and into a spin right right in the middle of the pack.

More than ten cars were immediately taken out when trying to avoid the spinning the GRT Lamborghini, while several others sustained damaged in the pile up.

All drivers are OK according to SRO, only Companc was brought over to the medical centre for a check up.

Amongst the 16 cars involved were the No. 19 GRT Lamborghini, No. 31 Zakspeed Mercedes-AMG GT3, No. 58 Strakka Racing McLaren 650S GT3, No. 5 Belgian Audi Club Team WRT Audi R8 LMS, No. 51 AF Corse Ferrari 488 GT3, No. 15 Black Falcon Mercedes and No. 23 RJN Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3.

Several of them were returned to the pits for repairs and should be able to continue.

The No. 7 Bentley sustained no damage.

Cars are now lined up on the grid as the track is being cleared.

UPDATE: Following a 20-minute interruption the race is underway again, 39 out of the 50 cars are still in the race.

Guy Smith received a 15-second stop and go penalty from the stewards for causing the collision, and subsequently got black flagged for refusing to execute the penalty.