AUGUST 26, 2026

Verstappen to take on 100 rivals in karting spectacle

Max Verstappen will start behind 100 other drivers in a purpose-built Silverstone kart race streamed live on September 16.

Max Verstappen will return to karting next month with the sort of handicap that even Formula 1 has not yet thought to impose on him: 100 cars between himself and the lead.

The four-time world champion will start at the back of a 101-kart field in Max vs 100, a live event being organised by Red Bull, Disney+ and ESPN at Silverstone on September 16.

A purpose-built circuit is being created to accommodate all 101 karts simultaneously. French racer and kart designer David Terrien is overseeing the layout.

Verstappen's task is uncomplicated to describe and considerably harder to execute. He must overtake the entire field, which will contain Red Bull athletes, gaming personalities, streamers, media figures, invited fans and several unannounced guests.

The event is intended as entertainment rather than a serious sporting contest, but the scale introduces some real uncertainty. Finding a way past one slower kart is simple enough; doing it 100 times without becoming trapped in traffic or someone else's accident is another matter.

It's always nice to return, Verstappen said of karting, explaining that the discipline teaches drivers the fundamentals of starting, defending and overtaking.

Comedian Mo Gilligan will lead the broadcast, which is also expected to feature live data, game-style graphics, drone footage and radio communication between Verstappen and the other competitors.

The race will stream live through ESPN on Disney+, although availability will vary between markets.

There is no championship at stake, but the premise has one advantage over many manufactured celebrity contests: it poses a question with a genuinely uncertain answer. Verstappen will be quicker than almost everyone in the field. Whether he can find enough clear track to prove it 100 times is the point of the exercise.