Mercedes driver shares health update after frightening Bathurst 12 Hour crash

Mercedes-AMG driver Ralf Aron has confirmed that he suffered a broken back in the heavy accident during yesterday's Meguiar's Bathurst 12 Hour that brought out the red flag.

With just short of four hours remaining in the race, the Estonian was leading after a Safety Car restart in the #77 Mercedes-AMG Team Craft-Bamboo Mercedes when he came across the Porsche of Johannes Zelger and the Aston Martin of Duncan Hamilton on the run to Forrest's Elbow.

With no time to react to the stationary cars around the blind right hander, Aron slammed into the TSUMANI RT Porsche with sickening force, destroying both cars, with the Mercedes bursting into flame.

Aron gingerly clambered out of his burning Mercedes, lying down on the track for a moment, before climbing over the inside wall out of harm's way.

Whilst Zelger would escape uninjured, Aron was taken to the circuit's medical centre, before being transported to Orange Hopsital in a stable condition.

Further checks in hospital revealed two back fractures for the 27-year-old, however he maintains "full movement and sensation in the body."

Aron also thanked the medical team for their response and treatment, and also extended an invitation to have a discussion about what steps can be taken to prevent such incidents from happening again.

"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."

The Mercedes-AMG Junior Driver also stated that he wants to return to the Bathurst 12 Hour in 2027.

Craft-Bamboo Racing also provided an update of their own, revealing Aron suffered a 27G impact, and that they have also requested a review into the incident.

Full social media update from Ralf Aron

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

I have raced on many street circuits around the world, including Macau, Pau, the Norisring and even challenging places like the Nordschleife. I have a lot of experience in these environments, and I understand the risks that come with this type of racing. 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.

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!

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. A huge thank you to my team [Craft-Bamboo Racing] and my teammates [Lucas Auer and Maximillian Götz] who have stayed by my side throughout this difficult situation.

My stay in Australia will be a bit longer than expected, but I am very happy that my mom and dad are flying over to be here with me during this time.