‘I’m no special guy. We can all do this’: Loek Hartog on rescuing Ollie Millroy from a burning car

What happened Last month in Shanghai, 24‑year‑old Dutch GT driver Loek Hartog ripped the doors off a burning car and dragged his fellow racer, 36‑year‑old Briton Ollie Millroy, to safety. Millroy suffered six broken ribs, a damaged lung, a splintered collarbone, a broken hand, a fractured C6 neck vertebrae and was left stunned by the near‑fatal crash at the China GT event.

Why it matters The dramatic rescue created a unique friendship between the two drivers and sparked a shared determination to improve safety in motor racing. Hartog’s actions were described as extraordinarily courageous and highlighted the human side of the sport.

Background Hartog, a young Dutch driver, was competing in a GT race in Shanghai when the accident occurred. Millroy, a British racer, was involved in the crash that set his car ablaze. The incident was reported by The Guardian on 29 October 2026.