China GT issues statement amid fallout from shocking fireball Ferrari crash

The China GT series has apologised following the shocking fireball incident involving Ollie Millroy at Shanghai, but has defended its event standards amid fierce backlash.

British driver Ollie Millroy suffered multiple injuries in a collision involving several cars at the Shanghai International Circuit 20 minutes into last Saturday’s China GT race.

His car burst into flames in the collision, with the Briton pulled from the burning wreckage of his Ferrari by a fellow competitor, Loek Hartog.

Footage from the crash shows Hartog using a fire extinguisher to battle the blaze before pulling Millroy to safety.

No marshals can be seen helping him.

In the aftermath of the crash, new details are emerging regarding the behaviour of the marshals, who are said to have fled the scene, while the ambulance crew is reported to have taken 15 minutes to get there as the driver was asleep.

“The event set-up complied with national-level competition”

China GT has now issued a statement, where it expresses “deep gratitude” to Hartog for his actions, while promising a “thorough review” into the incident will take place.

“This was an accident that neither the organising committee nor anyone involved wanted to see,” China GT said in a statement.

“We deeply apologise for this incident and the subsequent shock and impact it has caused everyone.

“The organising committee extends its sympathies to driver Oliver Millroy of car No. 91 and the other drivers involved, and sincerely hopes for their speedy recovery.

“At the same time, we express our deep gratitude and respect to driver Loek Hartog, who was the first to arrive at the scene to provide assistance.

“Preliminary investigations indicate that the overall event setup complied with national-level competition standards, but there is room for improvement in terms of detailed management.

“Following the race, we will conduct a thorough review and investigation of this incident and develop more comprehensive plans to address any shortcomings in organisation, safety measures, emergency response, rescue operations, and medical care during the competition.

“The event organisers will use this incident as a lesson to further strengthen management in the aforementioned areas and ensure that all measures are fully implemented.”

Another team pulls out of China GT permanently

The AAI Motorsport team Millroy races for has already confirmed it will not take any further part in China GT going forward.

Now, TBC by 610 Racing team - whose driver Neil Verhagen was deemed at fault for the incident, which the squad disputes - says it will also not return to the series.

Team boss Yang Baijie called the incident a “tragedy for motorsport” and attacked the response of the stewards in the immediate aftermath.

In a lengthy social media post, he wrote: “What occurred today was a tragedy for motorsport—not simply because of the accident, but because we nearly lost an outstanding driver.

“The marshals panicked, dropped their fire extinguishers, and fled.

“The ambulance arrived fifteen minutes after the incident because its driver was asleep; individuals banged on his window and still could not wake him.

“Following the race, the stewards summoned us to the hearing room without knowing whether the driver was safe.

“There was no greeting, no inquiry about the other two drivers involved, no word of comfort.

“They made no mention of their own rescue response time. I was stunned that their first reaction was to smile—to attempt to shift responsibility onto us.

“The chief steward, with appalling arrogance, dismissed this as an amateurish mistake.

“My team-mate is a factory driver. A Daytona champion. Yet their first instinct was to ask whether we would help direct public opinion against ourselves to deflect from their own failures.

“I am permanently withdrawing from China GT. This is the only protest I have left.

“I will not return until every member of this championship treats life and safety with the seriousness they demand.

“We will not accept the conduct of these stewards or the race committee’s handling of this matter.

“Our onboard data has been submitted to the WEC stewards, who have confirmed from their professional assessment that we were not the primary cause of this accident.

“Should China GT attempt to use us to mitigate its own negligence, I will pursue legal action to defend myself, my team-mate, and the drivers involved in this incident.”