A scary crash has marred the ongoing fourth round of the China GT3 Championships in Shanghai. A car caught fire, leaving its driver in the hospital, while another driver played savior, putting the series’ safety standards and protocols under major scrutiny.
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The incident took place at the Shanghai International Circuit and involved former F1 driver Neil Verhagen, who has raced in several American series, including the SCCA National Runoffs and IMSA WeatherTech Championship, along with Chinese driver Chen Weian, Briton Ollie Millroy, and Dutchman Loek Hartog.
With around 42 minutes left, Verhagen in the No. 33 BMW and Weian in the No. 37 Ferrari were fighting for position when both cars went off onto the grass on the straight leading into Turn 14.
Verhagen hit Weian’s Ferrari from behind, sending it sliding backward onto the track at the apex. Ollie Millroy was approaching the corner in his No. 91 Ferrari and had nowhere to go, with Weian’s car slamming into and destroying the right side of his Ferrari.
Verhagen’s BMW then hit Weian’s Ferrari, lifting it into the air. Debris flew from all three cars, while Millroy’s Ferrari immediately caught fire as it rolled into the runoff area, bringing out the red flag. Still, there were no race marshals nearby to attend to the flaming Ferrari or help its driver get out. Dutchman Loek Hartog, however, stopped his No. 79 Porsche, ran out of the car, and ran over to Millroy’s flaming Ferrari.
The frame was crushed, making it difficult to pull him out. Hartog ran to the inside wall, grabbed a fire extinguisher, and sprayed down the flames before pulling the Briton out as the fire turned to smoke.
Millroy was taken to a nearby trauma center and, according to reports, suffered multiple fractures in the high-force T-bone collision. He initially had difficulty moving his lower body, which concerned officials. Thankfully, he was later reported to be recovering well. Hartog visited him in the hospital and revealed that he was doing fine.
Hartog, after this scary incident, reportedly got back into his car and drove back to his team Phantom Global’s garage and was seen devastated and crying nonstop. In his effort to get Millroy free from the Ferrari, Hartog sustained minor injuries to his hand and also inhaled large amounts of fumes that led to discomfort in his lungs.
Millroy, after being able to, took to social media to thank the Dutchman. He wrote, “I owe my life to you. You risked your own to drag me from a burning car without any delay. One day I will tell my three young kids this story, and you will be their biggest superhero. Thank you.”
After the incident, and once their driver was being treated, FIST Team AAI released a statement to announce that they will be withdrawing from future races in China GT until a meeting is held to discuss the accident with the organizers.
The team strongly criticized what it called “serious negligence in on-site emergency response and safety rescue operations.” It also pointed to a lack of medical resources, stating: “After the accident [in Race 1 in Shanghai], the organizers failed to allocate sufficient medical resources to carry out treatment as soon as possible.”
FIST Team AAI was also unhappy with the broadcast, which reported that Millroy had escaped the wrecked Ferrari on his own without verifying what had actually happened.
The team will not return to the championship until it meets with the organizers to seek answers over the accident, safety measures, medical preparedness, and the misinformation in the broadcast. FIST Team AAI also warned of potential legal action if the issues are not addressed.
Hartog, who was clearly shaken up by the incident, wrote a few lines in two stories he posted on Instagram.
“When I saw a car turning into a huge fireball far ahead, there wasn’t really a decision to make,” read the 23-year-old Dutchman’s story. “From what I had seen, I genuinely believed the driver might not be able to get out by himself. I stopped, got out, and went towards the car. There was never a moment of doubt.”
Hartog continued that while he didn’t know if he would be able to get the British driver out on time or not, he didn’t hesitate. He then posted a picture of himself dragging Millroy out of the burning Ferrari and wrote. “Right where I needed to be.”
While the entire motorsport community is relieved that the updates on Millroy are one of him recovering, there will be serious questions raised about the lack of safety protocols and the delayed response from marshals.