Loek Hartog saving Ollie Millroy
Discussion
Was just about to post exactly this.
Hartog deserves an award for his bravery, and Shanghai circuit needs some serious sanctions for what appears to be a total failure of the response teams.
It took well over a minute for the first fire extinguisher to appear, with no sign of a fire truck or medical car for several minutes afterwards, totally shocking.
If I was the FIA, I’d seriously be looking at how this circuit is Grade 1 approved and sanctioned to host F1 races. Doing things properly for one weekend a year, when the World is watching, is dare I say very Chinese.
Hartog deserves an award for his bravery, and Shanghai circuit needs some serious sanctions for what appears to be a total failure of the response teams.
It took well over a minute for the first fire extinguisher to appear, with no sign of a fire truck or medical car for several minutes afterwards, totally shocking.
If I was the FIA, I’d seriously be looking at how this circuit is Grade 1 approved and sanctioned to host F1 races. Doing things properly for one weekend a year, when the World is watching, is dare I say very Chinese.
"There have also been unconfirmed reports that the nearest fire marshal was asleep as the incident unfolded."
https://www.crash.net/sportscars/news/1103798/1/fe...
^ There is a longer in car from Hartog, showing how he spots it and takes the decision a long way back and external of the crash too.
https://www.crash.net/sportscars/news/1103798/1/fe...
^ There is a longer in car from Hartog, showing how he spots it and takes the decision a long way back and external of the crash too.
Edited by FourWheelDrift on Sunday 6th September 12:56
Terrifying video, like a flashback to the 70s and losing F1 drivers every other week.
Loek has to grab an extinguisher from a marshal and use it to be able drag Ollie Millroy out. The second marshal on the scene appears at a slow shuffle and doesn't know how to operate an extinguisher. Apparently in another video, some marshals are seen running away from the fire and Chinese authorities have tried to sensor footage of it. Reportedly they had to wake the ambulance driver...
Heroes don't wear capes, Nomex.
Loek has to grab an extinguisher from a marshal and use it to be able drag Ollie Millroy out. The second marshal on the scene appears at a slow shuffle and doesn't know how to operate an extinguisher. Apparently in another video, some marshals are seen running away from the fire and Chinese authorities have tried to sensor footage of it. Reportedly they had to wake the ambulance driver...
Heroes don't wear capes, Nomex.
Rumblestripe said:
Terrifying video, like a flashback to the 70s and losing F1 drivers every other week.
Loek has to grab an extinguisher from a marshal and use it to be able drag Ollie Millroy out. The second marshal on the scene appears at a slow shuffle and doesn't know how to operate an extinguisher. Apparently in another video, some marshals are seen running away from the fire and Chinese authorities have tried to sensor footage of it. Reportedly they had to wake the ambulance driver...
Heroes don't wear capes, Nomex.
Absolutely. Just straight out of the seventies. Woeful example of management by the race officials .Loek has to grab an extinguisher from a marshal and use it to be able drag Ollie Millroy out. The second marshal on the scene appears at a slow shuffle and doesn't know how to operate an extinguisher. Apparently in another video, some marshals are seen running away from the fire and Chinese authorities have tried to sensor footage of it. Reportedly they had to wake the ambulance driver...
Heroes don't wear capes, Nomex.
One tends to hope we never ever see anything so appalling like the Roger Williamson tragedy, and David Purley’s incredible efforts.
Sickening to see in 2026.
The first time I watched the video I was amazed by Loek's bravery and levelheadedness to get Ollie out of the car. The second time I watched the video I was amazed by how poor the response from the stewards was.
We are very fortunate in the UK to have the high quality of marshals and stewards that we have. Even at my local hillclimb the stewards would mount a better response than this! It's shocking that an event like this can have such a poor standard of marshalling.
We are very fortunate in the UK to have the high quality of marshals and stewards that we have. Even at my local hillclimb the stewards would mount a better response than this! It's shocking that an event like this can have such a poor standard of marshalling.
I've just seen this on Sky Sports - exceptional bravery and Ollie quite rightly has praised Loek for saving his life.
They need to investigate why the response was so slow, but atleast today we can appreciate a driver wasn't lost. A good friend died in a similar accident (on a circuit but not racing) and I wouldn't want it to happen to anyone else.
They need to investigate why the response was so slow, but atleast today we can appreciate a driver wasn't lost. A good friend died in a similar accident (on a circuit but not racing) and I wouldn't want it to happen to anyone else.
Rumblestripe said:
Terrifying video, like a flashback to the 70s and losing F1 drivers every other week.
Loek has to grab an extinguisher from a marshal and use it to be able drag Ollie Millroy out. The second marshal on the scene appears at a slow shuffle and doesn't know how to operate an extinguisher. Apparently in another video, some marshals are seen running away from the fire and Chinese authorities have tried to sensor footage of it. Reportedly they had to wake the ambulance driver...
Heroes don't wear capes, Nomex.
Exactly my thoughts on seeing it for the first time. You would expect an immediate red flag and a response from the first team and marshalls as soon as the other cars were slowed down sufficiently. The amount of time passing before anyone other than Loek showed up is unacceptable at a club event let alone a big race like this. Loek has to grab an extinguisher from a marshal and use it to be able drag Ollie Millroy out. The second marshal on the scene appears at a slow shuffle and doesn't know how to operate an extinguisher. Apparently in another video, some marshals are seen running away from the fire and Chinese authorities have tried to sensor footage of it. Reportedly they had to wake the ambulance driver...
Heroes don't wear capes, Nomex.
I've never underestimate the work of our Marshalls in the UK but this brings it home that we are so lucky to have them and that other countries still have a lot to learn.
Sandpit Steve said:
Was just about to post exactly this.
Hartog deserves an award for his bravery, and Shanghai circuit needs some serious sanctions for what appears to be a total failure of the response teams.
It took well over a minute for the first fire extinguisher to appear, with no sign of a fire truck or medical car for several minutes afterwards, totally shocking.
If I was the FIA, I d seriously be looking at how this circuit is Grade 1 approved and sanctioned to host F1 races. Doing things properly for one weekend a year, when the World is watching, is dare I say very Chinese.
Even when the first bottle appears it is with Hartog not a marshal!Hartog deserves an award for his bravery, and Shanghai circuit needs some serious sanctions for what appears to be a total failure of the response teams.
It took well over a minute for the first fire extinguisher to appear, with no sign of a fire truck or medical car for several minutes afterwards, totally shocking.
If I was the FIA, I d seriously be looking at how this circuit is Grade 1 approved and sanctioned to host F1 races. Doing things properly for one weekend a year, when the World is watching, is dare I say very Chinese.
I occasionally marshal at Silverstone and the complete lack of response from the marshal's is appalling, if it wasn't for Hartog, he would likely be dead!
T_S_M said:
Do these cars have built in fire suppression systems for the cabin and engine bay?
Appreciate after a big smash like that they might not be fully effective.
It will have an in built fire system, I think that is a mandatory requirement for any race car.Appreciate after a big smash like that they might not be fully effective.
They are manually triggered though, either internally by the driver or externally by a marshal.
It sounds like Ollie Millroy was in no fit state to trigger it and there were no marshals to do it.
All of that said, the size of that fire, it would likely have done nothing, they only hold a litre or two of extinguishant, which does not go far at all.
Megaflow said:
T_S_M said:
Do these cars have built in fire suppression systems for the cabin and engine bay?
Appreciate after a big smash like that they might not be fully effective.
It will have an in built fire system, I think that is a mandatory requirement for any race car.Appreciate after a big smash like that they might not be fully effective.
They are manually triggered though, either internally by the driver or externally by a marshal.
It sounds like Ollie Millroy was in no fit state to trigger it and there were no marshals to do it.
All of that said, the size of that fire, it would likely have done nothing, they only hold a litre or two of extinguishant, which does not go far at all.
It’s still absolutely shocking that there wasn’t a fire truck rolling almost immediately. This is a Grade 1 circuit, they’re going to have pickups with large tanks of foam in the bed stationed at every turn. In theory. Surely someone in race control saw the fire and told them to get a move on?
Megaflow said:
T_S_M said:
Do these cars have built in fire suppression systems for the cabin and engine bay?
Appreciate after a big smash like that they might not be fully effective.
It will have an in built fire system, I think that is a mandatory requirement for any race car.Appreciate after a big smash like that they might not be fully effective.
They are manually triggered though, either internally by the driver or externally by a marshal.
It sounds like Ollie Millroy was in no fit state to trigger it and there were no marshals to do it.
All of that said, the size of that fire, it would likely have done nothing, they only hold a litre or two of extinguishant, which does not go far at all.
All the onboard systems are designed to do is to give you a few extra seconds to get out. They won't save the car or put out a fire if there is fuel everywhere.
The more important thing to do is to turn the car power off so fuel pumps don't keep spraying fuel out of ruptured lines etc. I've seen many fires where drivers have neglected to do that.
Of course a seriously injured driver is unlikely to do either.
The more important thing to do is to turn the car power off so fuel pumps don't keep spraying fuel out of ruptured lines etc. I've seen many fires where drivers have neglected to do that.
Of course a seriously injured driver is unlikely to do either.
Megaflow said:
Even when the first bottle appears it is with Hartog not a marshal!
I occasionally marshal at Silverstone and the complete lack of response from the marshal's is appalling, if it wasn't for Hartog, he would likely be dead!
British marshals are enthusiasts. These will be recruited rather like ‘safety stewards’ at festivals here. But a third world version. I occasionally marshal at Silverstone and the complete lack of response from the marshal's is appalling, if it wasn't for Hartog, he would likely be dead!
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