A serious accident occurred during the fourth round of the China GT Championship at the Shanghai International Circuit on September 5th. The race was marred by a dramatic crash involving car number 91 from the FIST_Auto team, which resulted in the vehicle catching fire.
Heroic Rescue Amidst Chaos
In a display of bravery, driver Loek Hartog of the Phantom Racing team, piloting car number 79, disregarded his own safety to rescue the FIST_Auto driver from the burning wreckage. His courageous actions were widely praised.
FIST Auto Team’s Strong Condemnation
Following the incident, the FIST_Auto team issued a stern statement via their official Weibo account, strongly condemning the race organizers for severe dereliction of duty regarding emergency response and safety provisions. The team highlighted significant flaws in the rescue operation that nearly led to a tragedy.
“The organizing party has shown severe negligence in on-site emergency response and safety rescue provisions, with obvious loopholes in the rescue response, nearly causing a tragedy,” the statement read.
The team also expressed outrage over the race commentary during the live broadcast. According to FIST_Auto, race officials failed to verify the on-track situation, prematurely reporting that the driver had exited the car on their own. The reality, as highlighted by the team, was that their driver was rescued by Loek Hartog.
Protest and Withdrawal
The FIST_Auto team announced their immediate withdrawal from all future China GT series races. This decision is a strong protest against the perceived systemic failures in safety and response. The team stated they will not return until the race organizing committee completes a comprehensive, independent, and public investigation into the rescue deficiencies and provides a formal response to FIST_Auto.
Demands for Accountability
The FIST_Auto team outlined specific demands for the China GT organizing committee:
- Immediately launch a full investigation into the accident, publicly disclose the entire process, and clarify responsibilities in track safety, broadcast reporting, and official information dissemination.
- Issue a formal apology to the involved team, drivers, and their families for the inadequate rescue efforts.
- Implement systematic rectifications of the entire process for track safety, emergency rescue, live broadcast review, and official information dissemination. This includes introducing implementable and verifiable safety upgrade plans to ensure the life safety of all participants.
The team emphasized that driver safety is a non-negotiable bottom line in motorsports. They accused the organizers of irresponsibly disregarding life risks, allowing false broadcast information, and downplaying the severity of the accident. This behavior, they stated, violates industry standards and has severely damaged the trust of the team, drivers’ families, and the broader motorsport community.
Continued Monitoring and Legal Rights
FIST_Auto reiterated their commitment to monitoring the recovery progress of their driver and reserved all rights to pursue legal recourse and accountability through all legitimate channels.
The team concluded by wishing the driver a full and speedy recovery.
