Ferrari star pulled from fiery China GT crash by fellow driver as marshals slammed

British driver Ollie Millroy suffered multiple injuries but escaped with his life in a terrifying fireball crash in a China GT race, as a competitor pulled him from his Ferrari.

The crash at the China GT race at the Shanghai International Circuit, host of Formula 1’s Chinese Grand Prix, happened 20 minutes in on the back straight.

The No.33 BMW of Neil Verhagen lost control when he touched the grass on the straight while battling with the No.37 Ferrari of David Chen.

Verhagen and Chen touched, with Millroy’s AAI Motorsports Ferrari hit in the incident, where it burst into flames.

Porsche driver Loek Hartog stopped on track and was seen from his car’s onboard camera running around looking for an extinguisher, as no marshals were on the scene.

Hartog then pulled Millroy from the burning wreckage.

Millroy suffered five broken ribs, a fracture to his collarbone, as well as a broken hand and finger, and a bruised lung.

“I am alive tonight entirely thanks to one man”

In a lengthy Instagram post, Millroy called Hartog a “superhero” for his actions and says he is only alive because of the Porsche driver.

“I am still alive tonight, entirely thanks to one man,” he began.

“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.

“I don’t remember anything between 30 seconds before the crash and one hour after it, but I will remember his incredible act of bravery for the rest of my life.

“One day I will tell our three kids this story and Loek will be the biggest superhero in history in their eyes too.”

Ferrari team threatens further action, “will no longer race in China GT”

The AAI Motorsport team, for whom Millroy drives, criticised the response of the marshals and the medical crews on-site, noting that they “failed to arrive in a time that we consider reasonable and appropriate”.

The team says it will no longer compete in any events organised by GT China, while threatening “further appropriate action”.

“I have personally experienced serious accidents and injuries; my daughter and my driver have also been involved in major accidents,” the team owner, Betty Chen, said.

“We know better than anyone that racing carries risks, and we accept the dangers of the sport itself, but we cannot accept the failure of the safety and rescue systems to expose a driver to a death risk that could have been avoided.

“Yesterday (9/5) at the China GT race, a serious accident occurred. Our car caught fire and burned after a high-speed collision, and the driver was injured and trapped inside the car.

“From the footage from the scene, what we saw was an unacceptable and even chilling scene:

After the accident, the car continued to burn for over a minute. Despite numerous workers present, they failed to promptly extinguish the fire and provide rescue efforts.

“In the end, another driver, disregarding his own safety, rushed toward the burning car, opened the door, and rescued the injured driver.

“After the driver was rescued, the medical assistance at the scene also failed to arrive in a time that we consider reasonable and appropriate.

“What might be the consequences if that driver doesn't step forward today? I dare not imagine. Racing cars can be dangerous, but "rescue" must not be just a formality.

“The purpose of the fire extinguishers, marshals, ambulances, Medical Centre, and the entire safety system is to save lives within the golden dozens of seconds after an accident, not to stand by and watch a car carrying a driver burn.

“Everything that happened today seriously questions whether the safety, firefighting, and medical rescue arrangements for this event truly have the capabilities and standards required for a professional GT race.

“This is no longer a matter of winning or losing, but the most basic respect for “life." Therefore, the FIST Team AAI hereby officially announces:

“We will immediately withdraw from this China GT event and will no longer participate in any events organised by China GT.

“We will also reserve the right to take further appropriate action. This is not an emotional decision, but our most basic stance on the safety of drivers' lives.

“Because today, the ones trapped in the burning race car are our drivers; next time, it could be any team, any driver, or even anyone's child. We accept the danger of racing cars.

“We can never accept the disregard for life.”

According to AAI driver Yin Yu Chen, Millroy was “for about a minute and a half” left in the car without any immediate assistance from marshals or fire crews.

There have also been unconfirmed reports that the nearest fire marshal was asleep as the incident unfolded.