Calls for safety procedure reviews after Aron breaks back in Bathurst 12H crash

Ralf Aron has sustained two fractures to his back during the 12 Hours of Bathurst in a crash that has prompted calls for a review of the event’s safety and flag procedures.

Aron, driving the No.77 Team Craft-Bamboo Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO, was leading when the lapped cars of Johannes Zelger and Duncan Hamilton collided and blocked the track at the blind right-hander leading to Forrest's Elbow.

With no time to react, Aron made hard contact with Zelger’s stationary Porsche. Aron’s Mercedes immediately burst into flames as it rolled to a stop on the outside edge of the track, and the Estonian crawled from the wreckage, lay on the ground behind his car, and then eventually stumbled across the track on all fours to safety.

The incident has raised several questions over race control’s response. The first is in the lapsed time between the initial spin and Aron colliding with the stationary cars, which was nearly 20s, and whether approaching drivers had sufficient warning that the track was blocked.

There is also concern over the delay in a yellow flag being displayed – video footage appears to show a gap of more than 40s before the first waved yellow flag is visible, during which time the entire field passed by the site of the incident – and also in the time taken for the first safety team to arrive on the scene. The same footage suggests about 90s passed between the second impact and the arrival of the first medical car.

According to Craft-Bamboo, the crash registered 27Gs.

“We have requested a review of the flag and safety procedures with Race Control to drastically improve safety in this area,” read a statement issued by the team.

“Big thanks to all the fans for the messages of support. For sure this is a disappointing outcome for the team to crash from the lead of the race, but for those that saw the incident know this accident was unavoidable by the driver.”

In a separate statement, Aron said he hoped that event organizers can learn from the crash in the hope of avoiding similar incidents in the future.

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

“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. 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!

“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.”