How Fangio created planning

Great post from the blog of Australian media shop Bellamy Hayden.

In the Monaco GP in 1957 (or 1950, depending whom you ask, but I’m more confident in 1957), Juan Manuel Fangio was leading with a few laps to go. He was coming up to a blind 140kph bend around where today’s swimming pool complex would be.
There was a pile up of cars around the bend that was blocking the track. In those days, ploughing into stationary cars at 140kph was very bad news. Remarkably, just before the bend, and for no obvious reason, Fangio braked sharply and crawled round the corner, avoiding the cars and continuing on to win.
He was asked by a reporter after the race how he could have possibly known to brake. His (paraphrased) reply? “The crowd was the wrong colour. I could tell they weren’t looking at me and that meant something around the corner was more interesting than the leader of the race. So I braked.”
So basically, Fangio …
Spotted something that was there for anyone to see but most would not have noticed.
He realised its significance.
He had the courage to act, even though slowing compromised his lead.
His actions had a positive effect.
Sounds to me a lot like good planning.