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Ralf Aron to Return to Racing at NLS7 After Bathurst Spine Injuries

Medical clearance after months of rehab and staged testing has produced a Nürburgring comeback while his wider 2026 programme remains unconfirmed.

Overview

  • Aron suffered two fractured vertebra in February’s Bathurst 12 Hour after colliding with a stationary Porsche and has not raced since that crash.
  • He completed stepwise recovery with doctor clearance, rehabilitation work and on-track tests at MercedesAMG’s Immendingen centre and in low-pressure sessions in Zhuhai.
  • Aron is confirmed to race one car of the Winward/MercedesAMG Team Ravenol entry at the six-hour ADAC Ruhr‑Pokal‑Rennen (NLS7) on Saturday, August 1, driving alongside Luca Stolz.
  • His full 2026 campaign was abandoned after the injury and his GT World Challenge Europe seat for the opening rounds was filled by Colin Caresani, leaving further GTWC or ELMS appearances possible but not confirmed.
  • The Bathurst crash triggered scrutiny of race control flag procedures, and NLS7 will be the longest NLS race of the season with a concentrated MercedesAMG SP9 entry that includes an Era Motorsport debut.