British GT racer Ollie Millroy says he owes his life to a driver he was competing against just moments earlier. During a China GT Championship race at the Shanghai International Circuit on September 5, Millroy's Ferrari 296 GT3 caught fire after a collision elsewhere on the track sent another car spinning into the side of his vehicle. With track marshals nowhere near the scene, it was a rival competitor, Dutch driver Loek Hartog, who stopped his own car, ran across the track and pulled Millroy from the flames, an act Sky News and other outlets have since described as heroic.
9月5日，China GT上海站赛车因撞击起火事件视频流出：
视频中清晰可见撞车起火以及对手车手下车紧急救援事故车辆的全过程。 https://t.co/6z2HFGKFsc pic.twitter.com/7ToiP5OLPo
A Crash On The Back Straight Turns Into A Fireball
The chain reaction began when two other cars made contact elsewhere on the circuit, sending one of them careening into the side of Millroy's No. 91 Ferrari and igniting its fuel tank almost instantly. Millroy, 36, was racing for FIST Team AAI at the time. China's ifeng News reported that the vehicles involved in the initial contact were car No. 37 and car No. 33, both of which lost control before striking Millroy's car.
Marshals Nowhere In Sight As Flames Spread
What made the crash especially dangerous, according to multiple reports, was the apparent absence of safety marshals and medical personnel at the scene as the fire took hold. Track safety crews reportedly did not reach the burning car until more than a minute after the collision, and one rival team boss later claimed marshals panicked and abandoned their equipment while an ambulance took as long as 15 minutes to arrive.
A Rival Stops His Own Race To Pull Him Free
Loek Hartog, a 23-year-old Dutch driver who normally competes for Rutronik Racing in the GT World Challenge Europe but was driving the No. 79 Porsche 911 GT3 R for Phantom Global Racing in Shanghai, was following not far behind when he saw the fire. He abandoned his own race, stopped his car and ran to Millroy's Ferrari. After failing to force the door open by hand, Hartog grabbed a fire extinguisher, beat back the flames enough to reach the cockpit, and physically pulled the unconscious Millroy free. BBC Sport reported that Hartog later played down his own actions, saying simply, "When I saw a car engulfed in flames, there wasn't really a decision to make." He added that he hoped for a world where such actions "would not be considered as bravery but as instinct of others too," though he also admitted, "there were moments when I didn't know if I'd actually be able to get Ollie out."
Five Broken Ribs And A Message Of Gratitude
Millroy was pulled from the wreck with five broken ribs, a fractured collarbone, a broken hand and finger, and a bruised lung, injuries that required multiple surgeries in the days that followed. Still recovering, he posted a message online thanking Hartog directly: "I'm still alive this evening, and I owe that to one man." He said he would tell his own children about Hartog's "incredible act of bravery for the rest of my life," adding, "I owe you my life for your selfless act today."
Organizers Apologize As Teams Walk Away
China GT organizers issued a statement acknowledging shortcomings in how the emergency was handled, saying the event's overall setup met national competition standards but that "there is room for improvement in terms of detailed management," and promising a review of safety measures, emergency response, rescue operations and medical care. Millroy's team, FIST Team AAI, announced it was withdrawing from the championship for good rather than issue further public demands, while at least one other team owner pulled out as well, saying accidents of this kind "should never happen given today's advanced motorsport safety standards."
