Each driver has constructed up a provide of instruments and methods of their respective arsenal, however Romain Grosjean has one that’s subtly distinctive.
The 38-year-old Swiss-born Frenchman has utilized the button on the steering wheel that gives him a drink – even when one isn’t relevant within the automobile – as a part of a knowledge level for areas to handle throughout debriefs.
Workforce members of Juncos Hollinger Racing (JHR) shared with Motorsport.com their studying of Grosjean’s method throughout offseason testing, once they seen he continued to hit the button regardless of not having a drink within the automobile.
It was solely then they discovered he makes use of it to dissect corners of every lap in an effort to provide extra detailed suggestions to the engineers for enhanced setups.
This method has helped Grosjean rating 5 top-10s, together with recording JHR’s best-ever results of fourth in June at Laguna Seca, by way of the 12 points-paying rounds. He additionally has two Quick Six appearances with the workforce, qualifying a better of fifth every time (St. Petersburg, Toronto).
Grosjean instructed Motorsport.com: “The drink button, when there’s no drink, it’s a mark on the information, so it’s simple for the engineer to seek out out as a result of you recognize when do the debrief and also you do runs – you’re like, ‘Possibly it was Flip 3 on lap 4 or…’ and as an alternative of attempting to recollect which quantity or which nook it was, let’s press the inexperienced button.
“Then you’ve got a mark on the information, after which if you simply open up the group information and also you see the place the mark is on, I do know what occurred after which you may speak about it as an alternative of attempting to recollect the place it was and which it was on in any respect and simply press the button, it’s there.
“I’ve a small mind, I assume, so this might make it simple!”
Romain Grosjean, Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet
Picture by: Geoffrey M. Miller / Motorsport Images
So far as the origin of Grosjean’s good but easy idea, he doesn’t keep in mind precisely when however is aware of it began within the early days of his Formulation 1 profession.
“We had the button, or perhaps it was the acknowledge button for pitting, in Formulation 1,” mentioned Grosjean, a five-time runner-up in IndyCar.
“After they known as ‘pit’ so that you don’t essentially have to reply should you had the acknowledge button. So, I feel I type of translated that into, ‘Okay, I can use the button to sign one thing.’”
A veteran of 179 F1 begins, Grosjean transformed that trait in his transition to the IndyCar Collection in 2021, the place he debuted with Dale Coyne Racing in a partial marketing campaign prior to 2 full-time campaigns with Andretti International.
When requested if it was a typical observe with drivers in Europe, Grosjean paused after which acknowledged: “It is dependent upon what workforce, however no, I don’t assume so. I simply attempt to make my life as simple as I can.”
Romain Grosjean, Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet
Picture by: Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images
And Grosjean shall be flattered by any present or potential drivers that undertake this methodology: “If I get seen in one thing, I’ll take it. That’s a very good factor with IndyCar, I feel, we’re on the market attempting laborious to be the very best driver and it’s not like we’re hiding issues from the others, so I don’t thoughts.”
Upon showcasing the button hack to JHR, although, he may see them implementing that as a useful resource for years to return.
“I simply used my expertise and so they took it onboard and so they thought it was a fairly cool concept,” Grosjean mentioned. “So, I assume they’re going to make use of it sooner or later.
“However yeah, you recognize, I’ve been doing this for 20-plus years and, after all, you be taught yearly.
“That’s the great thing about sport, is you could be outdated with out being outdated. I don’t assume you lose your capability however you acquire an increasing number of expertise.”
