Recently, male star Daniel Wu, who participated in the China GT (China GT Championships) event in Shanghai, took to Instagram on September 7th to publicly criticize the organizers as “shameful.” He slammed them for their inadequate rescue efforts and refusal to apologize after the serious explosion and fire incident involving British driver Ollie Millroy.
The incident described by Daniel Wu occurred during the GT3 category first round event held at the Shanghai International Circuit on September 5th. A severe crash happened on the track during the 7th lap, resulting in the car driven by British driver Oliver Millroy bursting into flames and trapping the driver in the cockpit. However, the on-site safety and rescue mechanism malfunctioned significantly.
According to reports, when the accident occurred, on-site personnel were in a panicked state, unsure of what to do, and the fire truck was delayed in arriving. It was 23-year-old Dutch driver Loek Hartog who bravely abandoned the race, stopped his 79th car on the side of the road, risked his life to rush into the fire, and managed to pull the severely injured Millroy out of the driver’s seat in about 49 seconds.
After being rescued, driver Millroy was taken to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with five broken ribs, fractures in the collarbone, hands, and fingers, along with lung contusions. He underwent surgery and fortunately, there was no threat to his life. Millroy personally posted on social media to report his safety, mentioning that he would need a few weeks of rest in Shanghai before being able to fly back home. He expressed his gratitude to Dutch driver Loek Hartog for saving his life.
Following the accident, the team involved issued a stern statement condemning the inadequate rescue efforts by the organizers, the dissemination of false live information and announced their immediate withdrawal from all China GT series events. The event organizers released a statement 36 hours after the incident, but did not acknowledge any wrongdoing or responsibility.
Participating in the GTS category event as a driver, Daniel Wu expressed in a video posted on September 7th that after Millroy’s accident, the staff were in chaos and had no idea what they were doing. He was incredulous about the delayed arrival of the fire truck and highlighted the series of mistakes that occurred.
Daniel Wu angrily criticized that after 36 hours had passed since the accident, the officials tried to cover it up, telling everyone to keep quiet, and did not even issue a public apology statement. He exclaimed, “This is too shameful, really very shameful!” Wu emphasized that as race drivers, they are aware of the life-threatening risks when seated in the cockpit, but it is based on the trust that there are proper safety and medical mechanisms on-site. However, when a real crisis occurs, it is the neighboring driver’s intervention that saves lives, rendering the organizer’s safety mechanisms meaningless. He condemned the organizers for their lack of responsibility, even attempting to shift blame onto other drivers, hoping that the incident would quietly pass.
After an outpouring of criticism and public outrage from Daniel Wu and numerous racing fans, the China GT officials subsequently issued an apology and paid tribute to the courageous Dutch driver Hartog for his heroic act, promising a comprehensive review of event safety and rescue medical procedures.
Records show that Daniel Wu is not only a renowned actor but also a professional licensed race car driver. He has been a die-hard car enthusiast since childhood, but his formal racing history and professional career mainly started after he relocated to the United States from Hong Kong in recent years and experienced a breakthrough and transformation.
Due to the slowdown in film and television work in 2020 caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Daniel Wu seized the opportunity to fully immerse himself in race car training in the United States. He attended the top Skip Barber Racing School in the US for training, obtaining three completion and racing certificates within a month, successfully obtaining official race driver licenses from the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and the International Motorsports Association (IMSA), making him eligible to participate in professional and amateur high-level events.
In the recent controversial China GT race first round competition that sparked a huge uproar, Daniel Wu’s car number 86 was hit from behind in turn one, leading to a tire blowout and radiator damage, ultimately causing him to retire from the race, fortunately without injuries.
Aside from his racing pursuits, apart from speeding down the track, Daniel Wu, together with Sung Kang, the actor who plays “Han” in the “Fast & Furious” series, co-founded the automotive and racing culture lifestyle brand “Student Driver,” aimed at promoting racing culture to the general public.