Full Breakdown
Heroic Rescue Highlights Safety Gaps at Shanghai China GT Race
9/6/2026, 9:54:49 PM
The Crash and Immediate Rescue
During the opening GT3 race of the China GT Championship at the Shanghai International Circuit, a multi-car incident unfolded on the damp approach to Turn 14 on September 5, 2026. Neil Verhagen’s BMW M4 GT3 lost control, collided with David Chen’s Harmony Racing Ferrari, and the two cars slid into the hairpin, striking Ollie Millroy’s AAI Team Ferrari side-on and igniting it. The race was red-flagged.
Dutch driver Loek Hartog, in a Phantom Global Racing Porsche, stopped, exited his car and, without any flag marshals or fire crews in sight, grabbed a fire extinguisher from a nearby official. He doused the flames and pulled Millroy from the cockpit. On-board footage shows the rescue lasting approximately 49 seconds.
Injuries and Medical Outcome
Millroy emerged with five broken ribs, a fractured collarbone, a broken hand and finger, and a bruised lung. He later posted that he could not recall the 30 seconds before the crash nor the hour afterward.
> “Tonight I’m lying here with five broken ribs, a fractured collarbone, a broken hand and finger, and a bruised lung, but it could have been much worse. Thank you, Loek. I owe you my life for your selfless act today.” — Ollie Millroy
He faces two operations and several weeks of recovery before he can fly home.
Data & Statistics
- Rescue time: ~49 seconds.
- Injuries: 5 broken ribs, fractured collarbone, broken hand & finger, bruised lung.
- Race status: Red-flagged, not resumed.
Official Statements & Responses
The China GT organizing committee, via its official Sina Weibo account, acknowledged that “detailed management” of the event’s emergency response needed improvement and pledged a post-event review.
FIST Team AAI condemned the live broadcast’s claim that drivers left their cars unaided and demanded an independent investigation.
> “When I saw a car engulfed in a huge ball of fire, I stopped, got out and went over to the car. I never had any doubts.” — Loek Hartog
Criticism & Opposition
Driver Yang Baijie (610 Racing) alleged that some rescue personnel fled the scene and that an ambulance arrived only after 15 minutes, adding that officials summoned drivers to an arbitration room before confirming safety.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Live commentators asserted that the drivers had exited their cars unaided, a discrepancy that highlights a gap between the event’s public narrative and the on-track reality.
Verbatim Quotes
- “When I saw a car engulfed in a huge ball of fire in front of me, there wasn’t really a decision to be made. From what I could see, I naturally assumed the driver couldn’t get out on his own, so I stopped, got out and went over to the car. I never had any doubts.” — Loek Hartog
- “Tonight I’m lying here with five broken ribs, a fractured collarbone, a broken hand and finger, and a bruised lung, but it could have been much worse. Thank you, Loek. I owe you my life for your selfless act today.” — Ollie Millroy
What’s Next
The organizing committee has committed to a comprehensive review and to formulate improved emergency-response protocols before the next round. FIST Team AAI and 610 Racing have announced permanent withdrawals from the championship pending satisfactory corrective actions.
