Four-time F1 champion returns to karts and must pass an army of rivals in the world’s biggest go-kart race.
Max Verstappen built his career in go-karts. On September 16 he goes back to them with the odds stacked hard against him.
The four-time Formula 1 world champion will line up last on a 101-kart grid at Silverstone. His only job: overtake every single one of the 100 drivers ahead before the flag falls. Red Bull calls it Max vs 100, and it is being billed as the biggest kart race ever staged.
The Ultimate Traffic Jam
Silverstone’s purpose-built layout was designed by French kart specialist and race director David Terrien specifically to handle this many machines at once. “Creating a track for 101 drivers at the same time has never been done, never been seen,” Terrien said.
Even the test run was messy. Red Bull sim racer and two-time iRacing world champion Sebastian Job tried the format with just 50 karts. “I think to overtake 100 cars is going to be extremely difficult,” Job admitted. “Today we did it with 50, and even that was a challenge to do it in the allotted time. He’s got his work cut out for him big time.”
Verstappen will wear a radio that lets him talk straight to the field, something never heard in Formula 1. The conversations alone should be entertainment.
Stars, Streamers and Everyday Drivers
The pack is deliberately mixed. Confirmed names include ultrarunner Arda Saatçi, basketball sharpshooter Chris “Lethal Shooter” Matthews, freestyle mountain biker Matt Jones, and popular streamers TheGrefg, Caedrel and TheDonato. The rest of the grid fills with content creators, personalities and fans invited from around the world.
Verstappen himself sounds ready for the chaos. “In go-karts you learn all the basics: starts, defending, overtaking,” he said. “Of course, I spent a long period of my life go-karting, so it’s always nice to return.” Asked what he looked forward to most, the answer was pure Max: “Just seeing the carnage unfold in front of me.”
How and Where to Watch
The race runs at Silverstone on Wednesday, September 16. No public spectators will be allowed on site. Fans can watch live worldwide on Disney+. In the United States it also streams on the ESPN App for Unlimited subscribers, with a delayed showing on ESPN2. British comedian Mo Gilligan hosts the broadcast.
Whether the four-time champion can carve through 100 rivals remains the big question. One thing is certain: the race will be pure, unfiltered racing drama from the moment the lights go out.
AI Disclosure: This article was created with the assistance of artificial intelligence tools and was reviewed and edited by the Glowls News editorial team before publication.