Romain Grosjean's Unique Trick with Drink Button Boosts JHR Team Efficiency

Saajan Jogia | Aug 6, 2024

May 26, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indycar Series driver Romain Grosjean during the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

IndyCar driver Romain Grosjean uses an old Formula 1 trick - a unique communication strategy - by pressing the drink button on his car to mark specific data points on the track. This innovative approach allows him to pinpoint areas of concern for his team, enabling them to fine-tune the car’s setup for optimal performance.

Juncos Hollinger Racing (JHR) team members saw Grosjean persistently pressing the drink button during off-season testing, even though he didn't have a drink in the car. It turns out, this is his method of marking data points to relay precise track concerns to his team.

The drink button - a button that pushes water through a pipe placed into the driver's helmet - is utilized by the 38-year-old driver as a data marker. Grosjean's team reported that this innovative method allows them to receive detailed feedback, which has ultimately contributed to his improved performance and higher point tally.

This seemingly minor adjustment has proven to be highly effective, enabling Grosjean to achieve five top-10 finishes, including JHR's best-ever result of fourth place at Laguna Seca, throughout the 12 points-paying rounds. Explaining the unique data collection technique, Grosjean told Autosport:

“The drink button, when there’s no drink, it’s a mark on the data, so it’s easy for the engineer to find.

“You know when doing the debrief – you’re like, ‘Maybe it was Turn 3 on lap four…’ and instead of trying to remember which number or which corner it was, let’s press the green button.

“Then you have a mark on the data, and then when you just open up the group data and you see where the mark is on, I know what happened.

“Then you can talk about it, instead of trying to remember where it was. Just press the button, it’s there.

“I have a small brain, I guess, so this could make it easy!”

The Swiss-born Frenchman revealed that he learned this technique from his days in the premier class of motorsport. Grosjean used the pitting button during his Formula 1 career, which began in 2009 and spanned 179 races over 11 years. He added:

“We had the button, or maybe it was the acknowledge button for pitting, in Formula 1.

“You don’t necessarily have to respond if you had the acknowledge button. So, I think I kind of translated that into, ‘Okay, I can use the button to signal something.’”

While Grosjean clarified that using such techniques wasn't uncommon in Formula 1, he admitted to adopting any method that made his life easier. He added that he would be flattered if current or prospective drivers adopted this approach. Grosjean said:

“If I get noticed in something, I’ll take it.

“That’s a good thing with IndyCar, I think, we’re out there trying hard to be the best driver and it’s not like we are hiding things from the others, so I don’t mind.

“I’ve been doing this for 20-plus years and, of course, you learn every year.

“That’s the beauty of sport, is you can be old without being old. I don’t think you lose your capacity, but you gain more and more experience.”