F1 News: Alonso's "Plan A Minus 12" Strategy Mix-Up Causes a Stir at Miami Grand Prix
During the Miami Grand Prix, Fernando Alonso had everyone scratching their heads when he told his team at Aston Martin that his strategy felt like "plan A minus 12." He was running in second place, just behind Sergio Perez. This comment made it sound like Alonso wanted to pit 12 laps earlier than planned, possibly getting ahead of Perez in the race.
However, Alonso later admitted to Sky Sports that "minus 12" was just a slip of the tongue. He had Plan A and Plan B in mind, but he mixed them up. He apologized to his team, who laughed because they knew it wasn't possible to do minus 12 since they had already passed that lap.
Alonso's radio message became a hot topic at the post-race press conference, where the 42-year-old driver had just secured his fourth podium of the season, finishing behind Max Verstappen and Perez. Even championship leader Verstappen was curious about Alonso's message.
Alonso explained that he made a mistake while trying to tell his team which lap he thought the tire would be in good shape before stopping. He apologized again, mentioning that his team had already laughed about the error over the radio, realizing that he was saying something silly.
Instead of poking fun at Alonso's slip-up, his team boss Mike Krack focused on explaining their strategy. Krack said they had lap times in mind and that the tires were starting to overheat a bit. However, after a few laps, they realized the rhythm was back.
Krack emphasized that they wanted to stick with their original plan and not rush into undercuts. Their goal was to gain a tire advantage and avoid getting into traffic, which could lead to dirty air. The strategy team decided to stay out on the track, believing their pace on the current tires would pay off later in the race – and it did!
Alonso finished in third place, securing his fourth podium in five races and boosting his total points in the Drivers' Championship to 75.