Gasgoo Munich- Two serious accidents occurred during the Shanghai round of the 2026 China GT Championship on September 5-6.
A fire occurred during the first race on September 5. The driver survived, but track officials did not save him. A fellow competitor saved him.
On lap 7, cars No. 37 and No. 33 collided and ran off the track. They struck the fuel tank of car No. 91. The impact caused a fire, trapping British driver Ollie Millroy.
Track marshals were not present at the scene immediately.
Loek Hartog, a Dutch driver for Phantom Racing Team, stopped at the crash site. The heat prevented his first attempt. He used an extinguisher and pulled Millroy from the car. The rescue took 49 seconds.
"With no flag marshals or fire rescue personnel in sight, he did not hesitate to stop," Millroy said. Medical exams showed he suffered five broken ribs, a fractured clavicle, and a lung contusion.
Image source: Screenshot of the live broadcast
Yang Baijie, driver of car No. 33, revealed details after the race. He claimed rescue personnel "fled out of fear" after dropping extinguishers. He added the ambulance arrived 15 minutes late because the driver was asleep.
Witnesses saw staff members holding extinguishers they did not know how to operate.
Post-race stewards attempted to assign blame to the drivers rather than expressing concern.
Yang announced he will permanently withdraw from China GT in protest.
FIST_Auto, Millroy's team, issued a statement. It condemned organizers for "gross negligence in on-site emergency handling and safety assurance." The team noted "obvious loopholes in rescue response." FIST_Auto will withdraw from all China GT events immediately. It awaits a full, independent, and public investigation.
On September 6, the China GT organizing committee apologized. It admitted that "meticulous management needs improvement" and pledged a review.
Another accident occurred on September 6.
During the second race on September 6, Wang Yibo started 17th and advanced to third in his class. He retired after car No. 116 hit his side door at Turn 11. This caused severe damage to the rear diffuser.
The organizing committee stated it will investigate.
Wang Yibo was confirmed safe. The day before, he partnered with Mao Junhao to secure his first victory of the season.
Xiaomi Auto is reportedly the title sponsor for the 2026 China GT season. The championship signed a title sponsorship agreement with Xiaomi in March.
