Hero driver who bravely dragged British rival from horror fireball crash opens up on their unique friendship… and reveals he was gifted a Rolex as a thank you for ‘giving me more time’

Almost two months on from British driver Ollie Millroy’s miraculous rescue from a fireball crash, he’s opened up on the horrific incident with the hero who saved him. 

Millroy, 36, had been racing in a China GT event at Shanghai International Circuit in September when two cars smashed into his Ferrari while navigating a bend. 

In video footage of the incident, Millroy’s vehicle was seen spiralling off the track while aggressive flames and huge plumes of smoke billowed above it. 

Rival Dutch driver Loek Hartog, 23, pulled up beside the wreckage, jumped out and tried to free the stricken driver before scrambling to find a fire extinguisher to put out the blaze. Hartog and track staff pulled Millroy away from the fireball, saving his life. 

Millroy, who is married to wife Fern with three children, broke his hand, five ribs and severely damaged his lungs but Hartog’s quick thinking and bravery prevented the horrific accident from being fatal. 

Millroy and Hartog have met three times since the incident and the Brit even surprised his rescuer at his birthday party, giving him a special Rolex watch engraved with the words: ‘Thank you Loek.’ 

Hartog told The Guardian: ‘It was really special and they gave me a very special gift, because I gave them more time.’

He explained how he felt in the hours after hauling Millroy from the wreckage, adding: ‘That was really emotional for me. I couldn’t sleep because I was overloaded and then Wiep, my partner, sent me a picture of Fern, the kids and Ollie at Disneyland. She was like: “You did it for them”. That really struck me.

‘Lots of people told me the marshals are not allowed to cross the guardrails on their own, which makes total sense on paper. But once something like this happens in front of you, I cannot believe you’re telling people to go against their feeling. 

‘If your gut tells you to do something, it should be your cue to act. We should mandate rules that are more human.’

Understandably, the gratitude felt by Millroy and his family is boundless, with the Brit adding: ‘Thank you again Loek and don’t change. I know you won’t. This is in your nature and you’re an inspiration to all of us in sport and life in general. Fern and I now think about life differently because you really put everything into perspective.’

Millroy and Hartog shared the pictures of the Rolex watch gift on Instagram, with Hartog writing: ‘Ollie and I met in circumstances neither of us could ever have imagined. One day after my birthday, he and Fern secretly flew from Dubai to Amsterdam, completely surprised me with lunch, and we spent the afternoon catching up on everything that has happened since and, more importantly, talking about what we can actually do with it all going forward.

‘Somewhere along the way, Ollie, Fern, Wiep and I also just became friends. And then, as if them being there wasn’t enough, they gave me this.

‘I still don’t really have the right reaction for someone handing me a Rolex across a table. I hope the first photo says enough. It is an incredibly special gift that I’ll keep and cherish forever.

‘But the thing I’m probably most grateful for is something you can’t really photograph. On 5 September, Ollie was somebody I barely knew. Then we were sitting together in Amsterdam talking like we know each other for years. Life is weird. In this case, in a pretty beautiful way.’

Millroy is still recovering and in significant discomfort, so much so that he can’t sleep, having tried to wean himself off heavier pain killers. 

But the crash has not deterred the Brit from wanting to race again or encouraging his son Mylo to pursue his passion, having already started competing in karting. 

In the aftermath of the crash, Millroy emotionally reflected on Hartog’s heroism from his hospital bed, writing: ‘I am still alive entirely thanks to one man. Loek Hartog stopped instantly with no flag marshals or fire crews in sight, and risked his own life to get me out of the car.

‘I don’t remember anything between 30 seconds before the crash and 1 hour after it, but I will remember his incredible act of bravery for the rest of my life.

‘One day I will tell our three kids this story and Loek will be the biggest superhero in history in their eyes too. 

‘I’m laying here tonight with 5 broken ribs, broken collar bone, broken hand and finger and a bruised lung, but it could have been much worse.

‘Thank you Loek. I owe you my life for your selfless act today.’

Hartog, meanwhile, posted on his own social media: ‘When I saw a car turning into a huge fireball far ahead, there wasn’t really a decision to make.

‘From what I had seen, I genuinely believed the driver might not be able to get out by himself. I stopped, got out and went towards the car. There was never a moment of doubt.

‘It was scary. There were moments where I didn’t know I would actually be able to get Ollie out. But this isn’t about what I did, and I’m sure many people in the same position would have reacted exactly the same way.’

Millroy’s wife Fern added: ‘I still can’t believe he’s alive, purely down to our real life superhero Loek Hartog.’