FIST Auto have withdrawn from the China GT following a severe safety failure during Ollie Millroy’s fiery crash at the Shanghai International Circuit.
The British driver suffered five broken ribs, a broken collarbone, a broken hand and finger, and a bruised lung after his Ferrari was struck and burst into flames. Fellow competitor Loek Hartog abandoned his own race to extract his rival from the burning wreckage.
While MotoGP paddock discussions recently saw Joan Mir defend his crash record, the GT community focused entirely on Shanghai’s trackside emergency competence. Onboard footage revealed track marshals struggling to unlatch fire extinguishers. Leaked documents later suggested marshals received a daily stipend of just 60 Yuan.
An ambulance took 15 minutes to reach the scene. Fellow driver Yang Baijie immediately withdrew from the series. Speaking via Motorsport.com, Yang condemned the officials: “The chief steward, with appalling arrogance, dismissed this as an amateurish mistake.”
FIST Auto Announce Immediate Boycott
FIST Auto have suspended all future participation. The Taiwanese entry demanded an independent investigation into the delayed medical response. US actor Daniel Wu also publicly criticised the hesitant race control and disorganised trackside staff.
Event promoters have since acknowledged their operational failures. Releasing a statement to The Guardian, the organisers promised to review the accident and “formulate more comprehensive plans to address shortcomings in competition organisation, support, emergency response, rescue and medical services,” before returning to the track.
The championship now faces severe scrutiny as rival teams await a transparent safety review ahead of the next scheduled round.
Comments.
Loading comments…