Torre accuses China of stealing Charles Leclerc’s brain data
The claims made by journalist Pablo Torre are nothing short of astonishing. According to a report on Open, China allegedly stole brain data from several athletes, including tennis star Jannik Sinner and Formula 1 driver Charles Leclerc.
“FocusCalm” is a widely used device among athletes to monitor brain activity in detail, helping to improve recovery and concentration. Torre alleges that China managed to breach the device’s security system, gaining access to this private data to “train the soldiers of the future.”
The journalist made these revelations during an episode of his podcast, explaining that he conducted an investigation in collaboration with Hunterbrook Media. According to Torre, China had access to information collected by FocusCalm devices. The company producing them, he claims, was founded in the United States but has reportedly been under the control of Chinese government entities for years. Besides Charles Leclerc and Jannik Sinner, other athletes using the device include Olympic skier Mikaela Shiffrin.
BrainCo, the company behind FocusCalm, originated as a Harvard startup. Torre claims that the company was “financed for ten years by the Chinese Communist Party and has now directly moved its headquarters to China.” Perhaps most concerning, if these claims are true, is that “BrainCo is collaborating on the development of ‘future soldiers’ alongside Chinese robotics companies.”
In addition, Torre shared BrainCo’s official response, which denied all allegations, stating that the data collected remains on the athlete’s device and is subsequently deleted.
The podcast episode also featured Italian expert Riccardo Ceccarelli, known for his Formula Medicine work in Viareggio, where he supports various F1 and MotoGP athletes. Riccardo Ceccarelli confirmed he also uses the FocusCalm device, noting, “It is a monitor; it records brain activity. It’s data that is tracked, similar to heart rate or blood pressure.” When Torre asked about potential data leaks, Riccardo Ceccarelli replied, “We are very committed to protecting privacy, and we have a team of legal and technical experts addressing this issue.” However, he did not mention any Chinese companies or anything directly linked to Pablo Torre’s allegations.
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