Max Verstappen will take on 100 kart drivers in a special race at Silverstone. Image: Red Bull
The four-time world champion will headline the one-off ‘Max vs 100’ event on September 16, starting at the rear of a 101-kart field with the challenge of overtaking every competitor ahead of him.
Rather than featuring a conventional grid of professional racers, Verstappen’s opposition will come from across sport, entertainment and online content, alongside fans invited from around the world.
Red Bull athletes, celebrities, personalities and creators will form part of the field, with ultrarunner Arda Saatçi, basketball coach Chris Matthews, freestyle mountain biker Matt Jones and streamers TheGrefg, Caedrel and TheDonato among those already announced.
The event takes Verstappen back to the discipline in which his career began, having first driven karts at four years old before competing in championships from the age of seven.
He went on to collect a string of major European and world karting titles, with his successful 2013 campaign preceding his move into cars the following year and eventual Formula 1 debut in 2015.
Despite more than a decade away from full-time kart competition, Verstappen expects those early skills to return quickly.
“In go-karts you learn all the basics: starts, defending, overtaking. Of course, I spent a long period of my life go-karting, so it’s always nice to return,” Verstappen said.
“It’s about understanding the grip of the go-kart. I’ve done so many years in go-karting that you quite naturally get back into things.
“I will be looking forward to just seeing the carnage unfold in front of me.”
A bespoke circuit is being constructed at Silverstone specifically to accommodate the enormous field, with French racing driver and kart designer David Terrien responsible for the layout.
Terrien, who will serve as race director, said creating a circuit capable of handling so many competitors presented an unusual challenge before Verstappen’s pursuit through the pack was even considered.
“Creating a track for 100 drivers at the same time has never been done, never been seen. So it’s very exciting,” Terrien said.
“When you have Max Verstappen chasing everyone, I think that’s going to be the experience of a lifetime for all the drivers.
“You’re going to have Max showcasing all these skills of looking through the traffic, trying to prepare and plan where he can overtake people, and going through the traffic at the fastest speed he can because he doesn’t want to let the drivers at the front pull away.”
The format is designed to place Verstappen in a position far removed from what he normally encounters in F1, forcing him to negotiate a heavily congested field while attempting to prevent the leading karts from escaping.
The concept has already undergone testing at Silverstone, with Terrien joined by Red Bull sim racer and two-time iRacing world champion Sebastian Job for a trial using 50 karts.
Even with only half of the eventual opposition on track, Job said completing the challenge within the available window proved difficult.
“I think to overtake 100 cars is going to be extremely difficult. 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.”
The broadcast will also depart from a traditional race presentation, incorporating game-style graphics, live data and drone footage to track Verstappen’s progress through the field.
Another feature will allow Verstappen to speak directly with his rivals while the race is underway, giving viewers access to exchanges between competitors rather than restricting communication to conventional team radio.
‘Max vs 100’ will be shown live globally on Disney+ on September 16.