China GT has issued an official apology following the shocking fireball incident involving British driver Ollie Millroy at the Shanghai International Circuit, but has defended its event standards amid a fierce backlash. The crash occurred 20 minutes into last Saturday's race, when Millroy's Ferrari was engulfed in flames after a multi-car collision. Fellow competitor Loek Hartog bravely pulled Millroy from the burning wreckage, using a fire extinguisher before dragging him to safety. Video footage showed no marshals assisting in the rescue, raising serious questions about race safety protocols.
In its statement, China GT expressed "deep gratitude" to Hartog for his heroic actions and promised a "thorough review" into the incident. The series acknowledged that while the overall event setup complied with national-level competition standards, there was room for improvement in detailed management, particularly regarding emergency response. "We deeply apologize for this incident and the subsequent shock and impact it has caused everyone," the statement read, extending sympathies to Millroy and other drivers involved while vowing to strengthen safety measures and medical care protocols.
The backlash has been intense, with two teams deciding to withdraw from the series permanently. AAI Motorsport, the team Millroy races for, confirmed it will not participate further, and TBC by 610 Racing, whose driver Neil Verhagen was deemed at fault for the incident—a claim the team disputes—also announced its exit. Team boss Yang Baijie called the incident a "tragedy for motorsport" and lambasted the marshals' response, noting they panicked and dropped their fire extinguishers, while the ambulance reportedly took 15 minutes to arrive as the driver lay unconscious.
The incident has cast a spotlight on safety standards in Chinese motorsport, with critics pointing to inadequate marshal training and slow emergency response times. China GT's promise of a thorough review and implementation of more comprehensive plans will be closely watched as the series seeks to rebuild trust among competitors and fans alike. The coming weeks will be crucial in determining whether meaningful reforms are enacted to prevent such a near-tragedy from recurring.
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