The Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix has been red flagged following a heavy crash for Mick Schumacher.

The Haas driver lost control at Turn 23 on Lap 9, the rear end sliding out in much the same manner as Charles Leclerc had in practice on Friday.

Schuamcher quickly reported back on the radio that he was uninjured.

Lewis Hamilton had been leading the race and pitted under the Safety Car that was initially called.

Second placed Valtteri Bottas also took to the lane, while Max Verstappen opted to remain on track and gain track position.

It was a decision rewarded by the resulting red flag, allowing the championship leader to effectively change tyres for free while maintaining the race lead.

The race remains under red flag with 14 of 50 scheduled laps complete, the race set to resume at 21:15 local time (05:15 AEDT).