Driver Saves Rival From Burning Car at China GT
Wednesday, 2026/09/09220 words3 minutes1404 reads
A major crash during the opening China GT race in Shanghai on September 5 left British driver Ollie Millroy trapped in a burning Ferrari. The collision began when Neil Verhagen's BMW and David Chen's Ferrari made contact near Turn 14 after Verhagen partly moved onto damp grass. Their cars slid toward the corner, and Chen's car struck Millroy's Ferrari from the side.
Dutch driver Loek Hartog, then racing a Porsche, stopped near the scene. Video showed him running to the damaged car, taking a fire extinguisher from a marshal, fighting the flames, and pulling Millroy from the cockpit. Motorsport.com put the rescue at about 49 seconds from Hartog leaving his car. Millroy later wrote that he owed Hartog his life.
Millroy was treated in hospital for multiple injuries, including broken ribs, a fractured collarbone, hand injuries, and a bruised lung. He said he could not remember the period from roughly 30 seconds before the crash to about an hour afterward.
The incident also raised questions about the emergency response. Millroy's team criticised the response and said it would withdraw from further China GT events. Organisers apologised, thanked Hartog, said their preliminary review found the overall event setup met national-level standards, and acknowledged detailed management needed improvement. They said they would investigate the crash and review safety, rescue, and medical arrangements.
