Max Verstappen will return to his karting roots at Silverstone for an extraordinary challenge that will pit the four-time Formula 1 world champion against 100 other drivers. In the ‘Max vs 100’ event, Verstappen will start behind the entire field and have 30 laps to fight his way forward in identical go-karts.
The event will be shown on Disney+ today, with the 101 competitors using machinery designed to offer identical performance. Ballast will also be adjusted to prevent lighter drivers from gaining an advantage, turning the challenge into a test of overtaking, traffic management and patience for the Red Bull Formula 1 driver.
How Max Verstappen’s ‘Max vs 100’ karting challenge works
The specially created circuit measures approximately 2.5 kilometres and combines the traditional Silverstone karting track with an extension using sections of the Formula 1 venue, including part of the Wellington Straight and the Brooklands-Luffield section.
The race will last 30 laps. During the opening 15, each of the 100 challengers will be able to use the special shortcut once. If Verstappen has caught them, taking that shorter route could allow them to move back ahead and avoid elimination.
Over the final 15 laps, Verstappen himself will gain access to the same strategic option as he attempts to work his way through what promises to be an exceptionally crowded field.
The format presents a very different challenge from the one Verstappen normally faces in Formula 1. Although his future with Red Bull is secured after extending his contract through 2030, this event takes him back to the discipline where his motorsport career began.
Max Verstappen returns to karting after several years away
Verstappen raced karts throughout his childhood before making the rapid transition towards single-seaters and Formula 1. The Dutchman sees the Silverstone event as an opportunity to rediscover the environment in which he first developed his racing skills.
“I drove karts from the age of four until I was 15, so this is a nice opportunity to go back to my roots and rediscover how I got into the sport. Once I’m on track, I’ll focus on learning the circuit and getting familiar with the grip of the kart.”
Despite having spent several years away from competitive karting, Verstappen expects his instincts to return relatively quickly. Data gathered during qualifying sessions has also allowed simulations to be produced ahead of the main race.
“I think I should get back into the rhythm quite naturally, but it’s nice to know that I can count on the help of data-based simulations that we’ve been able to produce from the qualifying sessions.”
“I know some of them will be very fast and I think all the participants will be pretty competitive, so it will be quite interesting and very hectic to see the battle that develops in front of me.”
Verstappen expects patience to be crucial against 100 rivals
Raw speed alone will not be enough. Verstappen will have to negotiate an enormous amount of traffic while making progress quickly enough to catch the leading drivers before the end of the 30 laps.
“Trying to race against 100 people will be very difficult and it will require patience to make my way through the field as quickly as possible.”
“I’m looking forward to it and this is, obviously, something that only Red Bull could organise. I haven’t driven a go-kart for several years, so it will be fun to get back on track and see how I get on, but there are a lot of people to overtake, so we’ll see.”
The challenge arrives during an unusual 2026 Formula 1 campaign for Verstappen, with Red Bull no longer dominating as it did during its recent championship-winning period. Away from that competitive pressure, ‘Max vs 100’ offers the Dutchman something very different: a return to the simple form of racing that formed the foundation of his career, albeit with the rather unusual task of overtaking 100 rivals in a single race.
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