Monaco pioneers digital detection of concussion in Formula 1
The system was first tested at this year's E-Prix © LAT Images for Formula E
The Principality is in pole position when it comes to driver safety thanks to an innovative partnership between a Monegasque start-up and the Automobile Club de Monaco.
The Automobile Club de Monaco (ACM) has joined forces with Neuraccure, a start-up incubated through MonacoTech, to improve care of head trauma in motor sport. The unprecedented alliance aims to significantly optimise concussion detection in drivers, following racing accidents.
The solution, developed by the start-up run by Dr Mikael Cohen, a neurologist at Nice University Hospital, is based on a comprehensive neurological assessment carried out via a tablet. The major innovation lies in its speed: it takes under five minutes to analyse the driver’s motor skills, cognitive abilities, visual reflexes and eye movements.
Monaco E-Prix 2025: Stunning Princess Charlene and Pierre Casiraghi celebrate winners on historic weekend
Full-scale tests during the Grand Prix
The system was tested during the Monaco E-Prix Formula E race then deployed during the 2025 Monaco Grand Prix. The protocol is automatically activated when the on-board sensors detect an impact above a critical threshold, enabling the circuit’s medical antenna to intervene immediately.
Dr Benoît Paulmier, Chairman of the ACM’s Medical Committee, stresses the importance of the breakthrough: “There is a real medical need to detect these injuries in our sport. This approach is in keeping with the FIA’s desire to develop objective assessment tools.”
Bringing Monegasque expertise to bear for improved safety
With a database of over 800 subjects, Neuraccure has already proved its worth with three Top 14 rugby clubs. This expertise may also open up prospects for early detection of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s, with Monaco at the forefront as a leading hub for medical innovation.