A dramatic incident marred the latest round of China GT when two Ferrari cars collided on the back straight, triggering a fierce fire. The crash has prompted an official response from the organisers and drew sharp criticism from several teams over what they perceived as a slow safety response.
The trouble began when David Chen of Harmony Racing and Neil Verhagen of TBC by 610Racing made contact on the straight. Both cars slid through the grass before Chen's Ferrari hit the Ferrari driven by Oliver Millroy, causing it to burst into flames. Seeing the scene ahead, Loek Hartog of Phantom Global Racing stopped his Porsche in the run-off area and rushed to pull Millroy from his burning car.
Millroy suffered six broken ribs and required surgery on his hand and collarbone. Hartog's heroic actions have drawn widespread praise, but organisers have been criticised amid claims that safety crews were slow to respond. Footage released after the incident showed Hartog grabbing a fire extinguisher from a marshal to fight the blaze.
In an official statement, China GT organisers offered a deep apology. "This was an accident that neither the organising committee nor anyone involved wanted to see," the statement read. "We extend our sympathies to driver Oliver Millroy and the other drivers involved, and sincerely hope for their speedy recovery. We also express our deep gratitude and respect to Loek Hartog, who was the first to arrive at the scene to provide assistance."
The organisers acknowledged that while the overall event setup met national-level competition standards, there is room for improvement in detailed management. They pledged to conduct a thorough review and develop more comprehensive plans to address shortcomings in organisation, safety measures, emergency response, rescue operations, and medical care.
The preliminary investigation found Verhagen responsible for the incident. He received a one-minute penalty, a 10-place grid drop for his next China GT start, and three behavioural warning points. However, the penalty is unlikely to be served as TBC by 610Racing has announced it will not return to the championship, following a similar decision by Millroy's FIST Team AAI.
TBC by 610Racing boss Yang Baijie made a series of damning claims on social media. "What occurred today was a tragedy for motorsport—not simply because of the accident, but because we nearly lost an outstanding driver," he wrote on Instagram. He alleged that marshals panicked and fled, that the ambulance arrived fifteen minutes late because the driver was asleep, and that stewards summoned the team without first checking on the condition of the drivers involved.
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