Front of Ralf Aron's Mercedes erupted in flames
First red-flag interruption since a race-ending stoppage back in 2018
Mercedes-AMG eventually claimed victory upon resumption
A terrifying car crash brought the Bathurst 12 Hour race to an abrupt halt at the Mount Panorama Circuit, Australia on Sunday (February 15, 2026). The crash left Mercedes Supercar driver Ralf Aron hospitalized, where he underwent further assessment.
It all began with a safety car restart after Johannes Zelger's Porsche hit the wall at McPhillamy Park, and spun on the corner before the downhill portion of the track. With no apparent view of Zelger's car, race leader Ralf Aron collided with it almost at top speed.
The front of Aron’s Mercedes erupted in flames, with Luca Stolz and Maro Engel having to steer out of the way in their own cars. The nasty pile-up resulted in the red flag being flown, as officials dealt with the debris and fluid on the track.
It was reportedly the first red-flag interruption to the race since a race-ending stoppage back in 2018. Engel later said his "thoughts definitely go out to Ralf, I hope he’s OK". You can watch the video of the horrific crash below:
Mercedes-AMG eventually claimed victory in the Intercontinental GT Challenge race, with the Team GMR machine driven by Engel, Mikael Grenier and Maxime Martin ending up ahead of the High Class Racing Porsche of Dorian Boccolacci, Anders Fjordbach and Kerong Li, and the Team WRT BMW M4 of Valentino Rossi, Augusto Farfus and Raffale Marciello.
