In 2025, Le Mans Classic and the Institut du Cerveau are joining forces for a cause that goes beyond motor sport. This unique partnership will enable spectators to make a direct contribution to an essential research project on hypovigilance at the wheel, by adding €2 to their entry ticket. A collaboration that combines scientific excellence and the heritage of Le Mans Classic in the service of road safety.
Led by researcher Thomas Andrillon at the Institut du Cerveau, this project is studying the impact of local sleep on driver alertness. This phenomenon takes the form of brief episodes of partial sleepiness of the brain, leading to loss of attention before total sleepiness. This type of fatigue is a major risk factor in road accidents, particularly during long periods of monotonous driving.
For this study, the brain activity of 40 lorry drivers will be recorded using electroencephalography (EEG) in a simulator and on the road. This research could lead to the creation of warning devices to prevent driver fatigue, thereby improving road safety.
Donations will help to fund: the purchase of 3 portable EEG headsets with very high recording resolution for a budget of around €60,000.
Created in 2010, the Institut du Cerveau is a scientific and medical research centre of excellence dedicated to the study of the brain and the discovery of new treatments for diseases of the nervous system. It was founded by eminent personalities including Professor Gérard Saillant, its current Chairman, Jean Todt, its Vice-Chairman, and Michael Schumacher.
Its innovative model brings together patients, doctors, researchers and entrepreneurs with a common goal: to transform fundamental discoveries into therapeutic solutions via a translational and interdisciplinary approach.
Located in Paris at the heart of the Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital - the largest neurology centre in Europe - the Institut du Cerveau brings together more than 900 international experts in 29 research teams, 11 cutting-edge technology platforms, a clinical investigation centre, a training organisation, a living lab and a business incubator.
