The name of Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc has emerged in a remarkable data leak surrounding brainwave measurements. According to a new study, his brain data, collected via a so-called focus training headband, has been misused by a Chinese company and may even have been used for research into military ‘super soldiers’. The data of several world-famous top athletes could be at risk.
The headband in question comes from the brand FocusCalm, which measures brain activity and is supposed to help users with concentration and relaxation exercises. What athletes didn’t know: the parent company BrainCo has been funded for years by organizations with close ties to the Chinese government. Eventually, BrainCo even moved to China, where the technology was further developed for military purposes, according to a thorough investigation by Hunterbrook Media.
Topsporters at Risk
Leclerc is not the only top athlete whose name appears in these documents. Tennis players such as Jannik Sinner and former world number one Iga Swiatek are also said to have used FocusCalm. In addition, Mikaela Shiffrin, the most successful alpine skier of all time, and several Premier League players are said to have used the headbands.
The possibility that the data from these devices could be reused in a military context raises serious questions about the safety of such technology, according to researchers. For Leclerc and other top athletes, it remains to be seen exactly what data has been captured and what will ultimately happen to it.
