Every driver possesses a unique set of tools and techniques in their toolkit, but Romain Grosjean’s method stands out subtly.
The 38-year-old Swiss-born French driver has leveraged the drink button on his steering wheel—which he activates even when a drink isn’t available in the car—as a data point for analyzing elements during debriefings.
Members of Juncos Hollinger Racing (JHR) shared with Autosport their observations regarding Grosjean’s technique during offseason testing, where they noticed he kept pressing the button despite the lack of a drink.
It was then they discovered he uses this button to pinpoint specific corners on each lap, aiming to provide more precise feedback to the engineers for better setups.
This strategy has allowed Grosjean to achieve five top-10 finishes, including JHR’s best-ever finish of fourth at Laguna Seca, across the 12 scoring rounds. Notably, he has qualified for the Fast Six two times with the team, reaching a best of fifth on each occasion (St. Petersburg, Toronto).
Grosjean remarked to Autosport: “The drink button, even when there’s no drink, creates a mark in the data, making it simple for the engineer to locate.”
“When discussing during the debrief, you might think, ‘Maybe it was Turn 3 on lap four…’ Instead of trying to remember the specific number or corner, we can just press the green button.”
“Then, when you examine the grouped data, and see where the mark is located, you instantly know what happened.”
Romain Grosjean, Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet
Photo by: Geoffrey M. Miller / Motorsport Images
“Then you can discuss it, rather than struggling to remember the exact moment. Just hit the button, and it’s documented.”
“I guess I have a small brain, so this makes things easier!”
Grosjean can’t recall the exact origin of this simple concept, but he knows it stems from the early part of his Formula 1 career, which consisted of 179 races from 2009 to 2020.
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“We had a button, or perhaps it was the acknowledge button for pitting, in Formula 1,” said the five-time IndyCar runner-up.
“You don’t necessarily need to respond when you have the acknowledge button. I think I translated that into, ‘I can use the button to indicate something.’”
When questioned about whether this was common among drivers in F1, Grosjean replied: “It varies by team, but I don’t believe it is. I just try to simplify my life as much as possible.”
Grosjean expressed that he would feel honored if any current or future drivers adopted his technique: “If I’m recognized for doing something, I’ll embrace it.”
“The great thing about IndyCar is that we all strive to be the best drivers, and we aren’t keeping secrets from each other, so I don’t mind.”
Romain Grosjean, Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet
Photo by: Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images
“I’ve been in this game for over 20 years, and, naturally, you learn something new every year.”
“That’s the beauty of sports; you can be experienced without aging. I don’t believe you lose your ability; instead, you continually gain more experience.”
