Ralf Aron shares health update after heavy Bathurst crash

Ralf Aron has provided an update following his heavy crash during the 12 Hours of Bathurst. The Estonian driver hit a stationary Porsche at race speed, after which his #77 Craft-Bamboo Racing Mercedes-AMG car was severely damaged and he himself was injured.

During the 12 Hours of Bathurst, a dangerous situation unfolded in which Aron collided head-on with the #79 Tsunami RT Porsche 911 GT3 R of Johannes Zelger, which had spun moments earlier at Forrest Elbow. Aron approached the Porsche at full racing speed in his Mercedes-AMG machine. He was the leading car.

Yellow flags were being waved, but Aron was only warned a fraction of a second before the impact. The collision was extremely heavy. Aron was unable to reach his team due to problems with the radio connection. Footage shows flames coming from under the bonnet, after which Aron crawled out of the car on his hands and knees.

“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,” Aron wrote on Instagram. “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.”

Two fractures in his back

Aaron adds that he suffered two fractures in his back, but has full movement and sensation throughout his body. Because of the confusions around the flagging marshals, he wants to have an open conversation with race control.

“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”, he wrote.

“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 Maximilian Götz, who have stayed by my side throughout this difficult situation.”

Aron concludes his message by letting everyone know that he will stay in Australia a little longer and that his parents are flying in to be with him

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