Driver Calls Rescue a 'Miracle' After Intense On-Track Fire

British racing driver Ollie Millroy described his survival as a "miracle" after fellow competitor Loek Hartog rescued him from his car, which was engulfed in flames during a China GT Championship race at the Shanghai International Circuit.

Millroy, 36, was involved in a collision with two other cars approximately 11 days prior to his statement. His Ferrari immediately caught fire before impacting safety barriers. Millroy remained trapped in the burning vehicle for over a minute before Hartog, who had immediately stopped his own car, pulled him to safety.

"He acted instantly and he did everything right," Millroy told BBC Sport from his hospital bed in China. "Watching the video back, it looks like you're watching a movie and everything's rehearsed. Every single step was perfectly executed."

Millroy stated that given the appearance of the car in photos and videos, his survival without life-changing burns is remarkable. He recounted that he had no memory of the crash and that Hartog was the first person to describe the incident to him in the hospital, leading to an emotional moment for both drivers.

Hartog, 23, described feeling scared briefly but focused on freeing Millroy from the wreckage. He estimated that 59 seconds passed from the moment he stopped his car until Millroy exited the burning vehicle. "There's a human element to that. I don't know why I went there; why I chose [to help him]," Hartog said. "There was no reasoning, and I explain to myself that it was how I have been taught – how I grew up in some way."

Millyroy intends to continue racing but plans to reunite with Hartog, who is flying back to China to meet him. Millroy's wife, Fern, expressed gratitude for Hartog's actions, calling him her husband's "soulmate and father of our three children's caretaker."

Both drivers plan to discuss safety improvements in the sport. "There'll always be an element of risk. But we always take that for granted," Millroy said. Hartog added, "This specific moment is something we can use to make the sport safer – there was a multitude of things that went wrong: I shouldn't have been the person to help but if it weren't for me, the outcome could have been very different."

Millroy is awaiting his return home to his children before fully processing the event, expressing his gratitude to Hartog. "There was a very good chance that wasn't going to happen if it wasn't for Loek."