Loek Hartog rescues rival Ollie Millroy from burning Ferrari during China GT race in Shanghai
Dutch driver Loek Hartog stopped his car and extinguished flames to pull British racer Ollie Millroy from a burning Ferrari after a multi-car collision at the Shanghai International Circuit.
Crash and on-track rescue
British racing driver Ollie Millroy survived a multi-car collision during round four of the China GT Championship at the Shanghai International Circuit after Dutch competitor Loek Hartog pulled him from his burning cockpit. The crash occurred during the opening race of the GT3 category on Saturday, 5 September 2026, at the venue that hosts the Chinese Formula One Grand Prix. Millroy, 36, was piloting the number 91 Ferrari for AAI Motorsport when two other cars struck his vehicle from the side in rapid succession. The car caught fire instantly, trapping the British driver inside while flames enveloped the bodywork. Hartog, 23, immediately abandoned his own car on the track, ran toward the burning Ferrari, and discharged a fire extinguisher at the blaze. Hartog then forced open the damaged door and pulled Millroy out of the wreckage to safety.
- Ollie Millroy crashes in GT3 Race 1 and is pulled from his burning car by Loek Hartog
- AAI Motorsport announces a complete boycott of China GT races over safety response times
- China GT organizers post an apology on Weibo and launch an inquiry into emergency procedures
Injuries and hospital recovery
Millroy was taken to a local hospital for emergency evaluation and treatment following his extraction from the car. The driver sustained five broken ribs, a broken collarbone, a broken hand, a broken finger, and a bruised lung during the multi-car impact. Writing on Instagram from his hospital bed, Millroy noted that he remembered nothing of the extraction itself but expressed lifelong gratitude toward Hartog. Millroy added that he planned to share the account of the rescue with his three children in the future.
Loek Hartog stopped instantly with no flag marshals or fire crews in sight and risked his own life to get me out of the car.
Hartog visited Millroy at the hospital following the event and posted a statement reflecting on the incident. The Dutch racer described the rescue as frightening and noted that he was unsure during the process whether he would succeed in pulling Millroy free.
It was terrifying and there were moments when I didn't know if I'd ever manage to get Ollie out.
Team withdrawal and safety backlash
The incident led to immediate fallout regarding track safety management at the Shanghai International Circuit. Millroy's team, AAI Motorsport, issued a statement announcing that it will no longer participate in any events organized by the China GT Championship. The racing outfit criticized the absence of prompt emergency assistance, stating that the Ferrari burned for more than a minute while no timely or effective firefighting operations appeared on the scene. AAI Motorsport accused the organizers of negligence after a competing driver had to perform the rescue without professional trackside support.
Organizer response and review
In response to the safety criticisms and team withdrawal, the China GT Championship organizing committee published a formal statement on Weibo. The organization issued an apology for the collision and the distress caused to the drivers, teams, and spectators. The committee pledged to conduct a thorough review into the crash and announced an investigation into circuit safety procedures. Organizers confirmed that the inquiry will examine competition management, on-track support, emergency response coordination, and medical rescue operations to correct procedural shortcomings.
