That is: by reversing the order of the factors, that is, by changing the circuit, the result in the Monaco Grand Prix does not change.

And now, time wasters please refrain: 2025 championship will continue under the sign and the probable world championship victory of the McLaren drivers, chased by Verstappen, the orchestra man of a Red Bull that is losing confidence, personnel, and skills, while the other teams will continue to do everything to distinguish themselves among the protagonists in the inevitable group photo at the end of the season.

But let's go back to Monaco.
Short track, just over 3 km to be repeated obsessively for 78 laps, on an urban circuit that, perhaps inspired by the fashionable climate of the French Riviera, forces the drivers to line up in a festive train that does not allow overtaking and perhaps bores the global audience a little.

So, starting in 2025, the International Automobile Federation has imposed a double pit stop on teams to change tires: whether you like it or not, whether you need it or not.

And it is on this strategy that the race was played.

Considering that it is difficult to overtake on a city circuit – a suffering shared by the metropolitan driver at every latitude – the drivers there were two ways to play the game.

Follow Plan A: Take Advantage of the safety car, the real or virtual relay that the race management, in the event of an accident, imposes on the drivers to respect the positions on the track, but which in any case permette to grind out the miles.

Or choose plan B: steal the place of colleagues who have to leave the queue to return to the pits, and then force them to resume the race ma making do with the space available.

F1 Monaco Grand Prix 2025: McLaren Confirms, Verstappen

Starting with medium tyres, on the asphalt of the Principality the drivers took turns according to plan B, with a continuous reshuffling of positions until the last of the 78 laps, when everyone had now respected the double tyre change.

Let's be clear: everyone except Verstappen.

Attested in pole position, the Dutchman speculated on a mistake by his colleagues and on the fact that the race management imposed the safety car.

This would have frozen the positions of the pursuers and allowed them to get closer to the finish line, leaving the Red Bull champion plenty of time to respect the formality of the second tyre change and set off undisturbed towards victory.

But things went differently.

Forced to make a pit stop, when the Dutchman returned to the race he had to settle for fourth place, finding himself now overtaken by Norris, Leclerc and Piastri, in short: the trio of winners.

At Ferrari, it is worth mentioning that Hamilton started from the fourth row, penalised during qualifying for a risky re-entry onto the track, but why? immense reported by the technicians from Maranello.

In the Principality, the British baronet then finished in fifth place.

However, even in Monaco, the seven-time world champion diplomatically commented on the performance of his car and his relationships with Stellantis staff.

We recall that at the beginning of the month, at the Miami GP, Hamilton was asked to give way to his colleague Leclerc.

F1 Monaco Grand Prix 2025: McLaren Confirms, Verstappen

Last week, at Imola, instead he had qualified fourth, the former Mercedes driver commented on his placing at the back by warning that “these things happen”.

In short: silence signifies consent, or perhaps not.

We end with the drivers' world championship standings.

It is led by Piastri with 161 points and Norris with 158, both from McLaren, followed by Verstappen with 136.

McLaren is the leader of the constructors' ranking, ormai untouchable with his 319 points.

Chasing him we find a trio of willing drivers: Mercedes, with 147 points, then Red Bull with 143 and Ferrari with 142.

Next race in seven days in Barcelona, ​​for the Spanish GP, but with an easy prediction: even if we reverse the order of the factors, even on the Barcelona track the result should not change.

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