After a British racing car driver was pulled out of the flaming wreckage of his car by a rival following a horrific crash in Shanghai, his team has withdrawn from the Chinese-hosted event, citing safety concerns.
While media and fans around the world have accused the Chinese organizers and race marshals of a slow and unprofessional response to the accident, analysts who spoke to The Epoch Times said it was the reflection of a culture that doesn’t prioritize human life under the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
The accident occurred on the seventh lap involving multiple cars during the China GT Championship race at the Shanghai International Circuit, home of the Chinese Formula One Grand Prix.
When two cars collided, they slammed into the side of car FIST Ferrari that Ollie Millroy was driving—hitting its fuel tank.
The Ferrari instantly burst into flames, trapping British driver Millroy in the cockpit in a life-threatening situation.
At that moment, Dutch race car driver Loek Hartog, driving a Porsche for the Phantom Global team, immediately abandoned the race, stopped his car, and rushed toward the burning vehicle to aid Millroy.
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Although the intensity of the fire initially prevented him from opening the door on the driver side, Hartog searched for a fire extinguisher to suppress the flames before yanking open the driver’s door and dragging Millroy out of the burning cockpit to safety.
Hartog’s dash cameras recorded the entire rescue process, which took about 49 seconds.
The footage that went viral also shows Chinese rescue personnel fleeing after giving an extinguisher to Hartog and another marshal struggling to open and activate an extinguisher.
A fire truck arrived after Hartog extinguished the fire and pulled Millroy out.
Millroy suffered five broken ribs, a broken collarbone, a broken hand and finger, and a bruised lung.
“I am still alive tonight, entirely thanks to one man,” he posted on Instagram, “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 said in an interview with Good Morning Britain, when being asked about his heroic action, “I wish to live in a world where this would not be considered as bravery but as instinct of others too.”
During the live broadcast, Chinese race officials tried to downplay the accident, claiming that Millroy had exited the car on his own.
Racing Community Responds
Daniel Wu, a Hong Kong movie star and race car driver who also competed in the Shanghai China GT championship on Sept. 5, criticized organizers for the slow response and attempted cover-up of the incident in a video post on his Instagram account.
“The accident was shown on the broadcast and immediately cut away,” he said. “And it took another 30 seconds to a minute before race control issued a red flag, very slow to issue a red flag.”
The drivers were left completely in the dark, and nobody knew what was happening, Wu said.
“Marshals are bungling around, clearly not knowing what they are doing or did not know what to do in a situation like this,” he said in the video.
“Not sure why the fire truck took so long to get there. Clearly, mistakes were made all along the way.”
Wu added: “For GT China not to acknowledge what happened or issue a statement even 36 hours later is really disgraceful.”
Yang Baijie, a driver for 610Racing BMW, alleged on social media that the ambulance arrived 15 minutes late because the driver was asleep.
Yang announced he will permanently withdraw from China GT in protest.
The FIST team AAI Motorsports, for whom Millroy drives, issued a statement criticizing the response of the marshals and the medical crews onsite and announced its withdrawal from all China GT races.
“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.”
The team extended “deepest gratitude and highest respect” to Hartog in the statement.
“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,” the statement read.
“We will immediately withdraw from this China GT event and will no longer participate in any events organized by China GT,” the team said.
“We will also reserve the right to take further appropriate action.”
In 2026, Chinese automaker Xiaomi became the title sponsor of the China GT championship.
Loek Hartog of the Netherlands and Team GP Elite (24) drives at Circuit Zandvoort in Zandvoort, Netherlands, on Aug. 26, 2023. Lars Baron/Getty Images
China’s Social Culture Under the CCP
This incident encapsulates the culture of the CCP: failing to come to the aid of those in distress, deceit, and undertaking international events without adequate preparation, Chen Pokong, a U.S.-based prominent rights activist, China analyst, and current affairs commentator, told The Epoch Times.
Sheng Xue, a Canada-based writer and rights activist, told The Epoch Times: “They wouldn’t simply rush in to save lives without a second thought.
“The long-standing operational logic and norms of the CCP’s political system have ingrained a subconscious reaction in people.
“The moment an incident occurs, the immediate priority becomes preventing the state from losing face and keeping leaders from losing their posts—all while ensuring one avoids personal punishment.”
It’s in the same vein as how the CCP handled the mudslide and flood at the Tibet-Nepal border, both analysts said.
When an incident happens in China, the first thing the authorities do is block videos and photos, Chen said.
“Meanwhile, the state media touts the achievements of the party and the government. So, the Chinese event organizers are simply following the example set by the CCP authorities.”
Chen added: “China’s social culture today is, on the whole, a culture of arrogance—an arrogance that stems from officialdom, and the inevitable result is the shirking of responsibility of the whole society.”
Under pressure from the Chinese public and international community, the Shanghai China GT organizers finally apologized later on Sept. 6 in a statement, expressing sympathy for the injured and thanking Hartog.
However, the organizers said in the statement that the race event met the international standard and that they will improve shortcomings in detail.
“They may have set the rules in accordance with international standards, but they are unable to implement these standards because everyone has lost their sense of duty in the social culture under the CCP’s rule,” Sheng said.
Chen said that he believes events like the one held in Shanghai are simply to make money. “The Chinese regime doesn’t have any consideration for international standards at all, nor do they intend to comply with them,” he said.
Organizers were jailed for “organizing a large-scale event that led to a significant safety incident.”
Chen said that the international community should realize that China under the CCP’s rule is not a normal country.
“Problems pervade every aspect—from its institutions and culture to its morality—leaving it fundamentally out of step with the international community.”
Luo Ya contributed to this report.
