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As of April 5, 2025, the safety failures at the 2026 China GT Championship Shanghai round have triggered a major crisis in Chinese motorsport, with two teams withdrawing from the series after a fire incident left a driver critically injured—and track officials nowhere to be found.
The accidents occurred during the September 5–6 race weekend at the Shanghai International Circuit. The most alarming episode happened on September 5, when a collision between cars No. 37 and No. 33 caused them to veer off track and strike the fuel tank of car No. 91. The impact ignited a blaze that trapped British driver Ollie Millroy inside his vehicle.
Rescue crews were conspicuously absent. Dutch driver Loek Hartog of Phantom Racing Team spotted the fire and stopped his car. Heat prevented him from reaching Millroy on his first attempt, but he grabbed an extinguisher, sprayed the flames, and pulled the British driver to safety in 49 seconds. Millroy later described the scene: “With no flag marshals or fire rescue personnel in sight, he did not hesitate to stop. I owe him my life.”
Medical examinations revealed Millroy suffered five broken ribs, a fractured clavicle, and a lung contusion. He remains hospitalized in stable condition.
Yang Baijie, driver of the No. 33 car involved in the initial collision, provided a damning post-race account. He claimed that rescue personnel “dropped their extinguishers and fled out of fear” after arriving at the scene. He also alleged that the ambulance took 15 minutes to arrive because the driver was asleep. Witnesses confirmed that some staff members held extinguishers but did not know how to operate them.
The race stewards’ initial response only deepened the controversy. According to multiple sources, officials attempted to assign blame to the drivers involved in the crash rather than expressing concern for Millroy’s condition. Yang Baijie announced he would permanently withdraw from China GT in protest, calling the organizers’ attitude “unacceptable.”
FIST_Auto, Millroy’s team, issued a blistering statement on September 6. It condemned the organizers for “gross negligence in on-site emergency handling and safety assurance” and noted “obvious loopholes in rescue response.” The team declared it would withdraw from all China GT events immediately, pending a full, independent, and public investigation.
The organizing committee issued a formal apology later that day, acknowledging that “meticulous management needs improvement” and pledging a comprehensive review of emergency protocols. However, no specific timeline or third-party oversight was announced.
A second incident on September 6 added to the weekend’s chaos. In the second race, Chinese celebrity driver Wang Yibo—who had secured his first win of the season the day before—started 17th and advanced to third in his class. He was forced to retire after car No. 116 struck his side door at Turn 11, causing severe damage to the rear diffuser. Wang Yibo was confirmed safe, but the incident raised further questions about track safety. The organizing committee stated it would investigate.
Xiaomi Auto, which signed a title sponsorship agreement with China GT in March 2026, has not publicly commented on the incidents. However, industry insiders suggest the company is closely monitoring the fallout. A source close to the matter told this publication that Xiaomi may demand contractual safety guarantees before continuing its involvement.
The China GT Championship, one of the country’s premier racing series, now faces a credibility crisis. International observers note that such rescue failures would be unthinkable in FIA-sanctioned events. “Flag marshals and fire crews should be in position within seconds of an incident,” said a former FIA safety delegate who spoke on condition of anonymity. “A 49-second rescue performed by a competitor is a damning indictment of the organizer’s preparations.”
As of this report, no official investigation has been launched, and the China GT organizing committee has not provided a timeline for the promised review. The two teams that withdrew—FIST_Auto and Yang Baijie’s squad—have yet to hear any formal response from the series.
The incident has also sparked a broader conversation about safety standards in Chinese motorsport. Several drivers have taken to social media to share their own experiences of delayed rescue responses, prompting calls for an independent safety audit before the next round.
