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Home GT & Endurance Bathurst 12 Hour

Mercedes star wants answers after breaking back in Bathurst crash

Mercedes-AMG driver Ralf Aron has revealed he broke his back in the crash that red-flagged the Meguiar’s Bathurst 12 Hour.

Simon Chapman
Simon Chapman
16 Feb 2026
Simon Chapman
//
16 Feb 2026
// Bathurst 12 Hour
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Mercedes star wants answers after breaking back in Bathurst crash
The damaged Craft-Bamboo Racing Mercedes-AMG driven by Ralf Aron after its crash in the Bathurst 12 Hour.

Driving the #77 Craft-Bamboo Racing Mercedes-AMG, Aron ploughed into Johannes Zelger in the stationary #79 Tsunami RT Porsche 911 on approach to Forrest’s Elbow.

Aron was seen crawling away from his car before climbing the inside concrete wall to lie down on the grass embankment.

Zelger was “sore” and escaped serious injury, but Aron was not so lucky.

Aron was taken to Orange Hospital to be evaluated on Sunday. Taking to social media, the 27-year-old revealed the extent of his injuries with an image of himself in a hospital bed.

The Estonian driver will remain in Australia while he recovers and will soon be joined by his parents.

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“First of all, I would like to thank everyone for the incredible amount of messages that have reached me,” wrote Aron.

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“The support over the past days has truly meant a lot to me.

“I also want to especially thank the medical team on site who took care of me immediately after the incident. Their professionalism and quick response made a huge difference.

“Considering the circumstances, I am doing fine and my condition is stable.

“I suffered two fractures in my back, but I have full movement and sensation throughout my body, which I am very grateful for.

“Also very happy to see that Johannes Zelger was able to walk away from the crash.”

It took nearly 30 seconds from the time that Zelger spun to being hit by Aron.

The factory Mercedes-AMG driver noted his experience at some of the world’s toughest street circuits – including Macau, Pau, the Norisring, and the Nurburgring Nordschleife.

Aron said he did not want to lay blame with anyone, but wanted to understand how the crash happened.

“I have a lot of experience in these environments, and I understand the risks that come with this type of racing,” he added.

“The situation in Bathurst was a serious one, and for that reason I would like to have a meeting and open discussion with race control to share my experience and perspective.

“This is not about pointing fingers. It is about understanding what happened and making sure we can prevent situations like this in the future, so that racing at this beautiful track can be as safe as possible for everyone.”

In any case, Aron is keen to return for a second start at Mount Panorama in Australia’s international endurance race.

“I will work super hard to be back behind the wheel as soon as possible and hopefully have another crack on The Mountain next year,” said Aron.

“I would also like to thank Mercedes-AMG for building such a strong car and for giving me the protection that allowed me to get out on my own. Thank you as well for all the support.”



Tags: bathurst 12 hour
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