The accident, at the Intercontinental GT3 series event held on the demanding Mount Panorama circuit in New South Wales, caused Aron and his team, Craft Bamboo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3, to retire from the race.

Aron, 27, was able to exit the car on his own after the shunt and climb over the track barrier.

Aron and his experienced teammates Lucas Auer and Maximilian Götz had started the race from second on the grid. Max Götz moved into the lead after a great start, a position that Auer and Aron were also able to hold on to for the next few hours of the total 12. With just under four hours left to run and the safety car having just left the track, Aron was on duty at the wheel of the Craft Bamboo Racing car, still in the lead.

He then reached a section with several blind corners in succession, unaware that two backmarkers had had a minor coming together, with their cars practically blocking the entire track.

The Craft Bamboo team had been experiencing radio communication problems, meaning the team were unable to notify Aron via the radio.

RACE STOPPED Aron hits Zelger's stationary Porsche. Both drivers climbed out of their cars.

LIVE https://t.co/CCFKvGZiq6#IGTC | #B12Hr pic.twitter.com/vW0pHr8rXC

— Intercontinental GT Challenge (@IntercontGTC) February 15, 2026

The upshot was Aron head-on T-boned one of the stationary vehicles, a Porsche which was lying perpendicular to the track, destroying the front end of the Mercedes and leading to an oil fire breaking out under the hood. After extracting himself from the car and leaving the trackside, the Estonian was taken by ambulance to the circuit's medical center, and then to the nearest hospital for more thorough examinations. Delfi reported Aron said initial examinations showed compression fractures in two vertebrae, while the Estonian noted that fortunately his arms and legs are mobile, and he will not require surgery.

"I am very grateful to the team and to my teammates Lucas and Max for their support, as well as to everyone who has sent messages of encouragement," Aron added. "The race had been going very successfully for us, because after moving up to the lead following the start, we managed to stay there with varying success throughout the race," Aron went on.

"After the safety car left and I was leading the race, I noticed yellow flags at one of the marshal posts. I did manage to slow down slightly before a blind corner, but a Porsche was completely blocking the track and I hit it at high speed. The car caught fire and although I felt pain in my back, I somehow managed to get out."

The Bathurst 12 Hour has been running since 1991, inspired by the classic Bathurst 500 production car race.

Aron has competed in the Italian F4 Championship, ADAC Formula 4 and European Formula 3 championships for Prema Powerteam and Hitech GP. He is a team manager at Prema, but continues to race with Mercedes-AMG. He is the older brother of Paul Aron, a reserve driver with the Alpine Formula One team.

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