Nearly two months after British racing driver Ollie Millroy was rescued from a catastrophic fireball crash, he and his savior, Dutch driver Loek Hartog, have opened up about their unique bond forged in the incident. Millroy, 36, was competing in a China GT event at the Shanghai International Circuit in September when his Ferrari was struck by two cars on a bend, igniting a massive blaze.
Video footage captured Millroy's vehicle veering off the track amid intense flames and smoke. Hartog, 23, immediately stopped his own car, exited, and attempted to free Millroy from the wreckage before using a fire extinguisher to combat the flames. Hartog, along with track staff, managed to pull Millroy from the burning car, averting a potentially fatal outcome. Millroy sustained broken ribs, a fractured hand, and severe lung damage.
Millroy and Hartog have met three times since the crash. In a gesture of profound gratitude, Millroy surprised Hartog at his birthday party with a Rolex watch engraved with the words: "Thank you Loek."
"It was really special and they gave me a very special gift, because I gave them more time," Hartog told The Guardian, reflecting on the significance of the watch. He described the emotional impact of the rescue in the hours that followed, admitting he struggled to sleep due to the intensity of the experience. A picture sent by his partner showing Millroy's wife and children at Disneyland, with the message "You did it for them," deeply resonated with him.
Hartog also commented on safety protocols, suggesting that rules should prioritize human instinct in emergencies. "Lots of people told me the marshals are not allowed to cross the guardrails on their own, which makes total sense on paper. But once something like this happens in front of you, I cannot believe you’re telling people to go against their feeling. If your gut tells you to do something, it should be your cue to act. We should mandate rules that are more human."
Millroy expressed his unending gratitude, stating, "Thank you again Loek and don’t change. I know you won’t. This is in your nature and you’re an inspiration to all of us in sport and life in general. Fern and I now think about life differently because you really put everything into perspective."
Sharing photos of the gift on Instagram, Hartog wrote about the unexpected depth of their connection. "Ollie and I met in circumstances neither of us could ever have imagined. One day after my birthday, he and Fern secretly flew from Dubai to Amsterdam, completely surprised me with lunch, and we spent the afternoon catching up on everything that has happened since and, more importantly, talking about what we can actually do with it all going forward. Somewhere along the way, Ollie, Fern, Wiep and I also just became friends. And then, as if them being there wasn’t enough, they gave me this. I still don’t really have the right reaction for someone handing me a Rolex across a table. I hope the first photo says enough. It is an incredibly special gift that I’ll keep and cherish forever. But the thing I’m probably most grateful for is something you can’t really photograph. On 5 September, Ollie was somebody I barely knew. Then we were sitting together in Amsterdam talking like we know each other for years. Life is weird. In this case, in a pretty beautiful way."
Millroy is still undergoing a difficult recovery, experiencing significant discomfort and sleep difficulties as he weans himself off strong painkillers. Despite the ordeal, the crash has not deterred his passion for racing, nor has it stopped him from encouraging his son, Mylo, who has begun karting.
In the immediate aftermath from his hospital bed, Millroy emotionally recounted Hartog's heroism: "I am still alive entirely thanks to one man. 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. I don't remember anything between 30 seconds before the crash and 1 hour after it, but I will remember his incredible act of bravery for the rest of my life. One day I will tell our three kids this story and Loek will be the biggest superhero in history in their eyes too. I'm laying here tonight with 5 broken ribs, broken collar bone, broken hand and finger and a bruised lung, but it could have been much worse. Thank you Loek. I owe you my life for your selfless act today."
Hartog, on his own social media, stated, "When I saw a car turning into a huge fireball far ahead, there wasn't really a decision to make. From what I had seen, I genuinely believed the driver might not be able to get out by himself. I stopped, got out and went towards the car. There was never a moment of doubt. It was scary. There were moments where I didn't know I would actually be able to get Ollie out. But this isn't about what I did, and I'm sure many people in the same position would have reacted exactly the same way."
Millroy's wife, Fern, added, "I still can't believe he's alive, purely down to our real life superhero Loek Hartog."
