Four-time Formula 1 World Champion Max Verstappen is swapping his Red Bull F1 car for a go-kart as he prepares to take on 100 drivers at Silverstone in a spectacular new racing challenge.
Max Verstappen is returning to where his racing journey began — but this time, he won’t simply be competing against another driver.
On 16 September 2026, the four-time Formula 1 World Champion will face 100 competitors in a huge go-kart challenge at Silverstone, with the event set to feature an unprecedented 101-kart grid.
Dubbed “Max vs 100”, the event will see Verstappen attempt to chase down a field made up of professional athletes, streamers, personalities and racing fans from around the world. The event will be broadcast globally on Disney+, with U.S. viewers also able to watch live via the ESPN App for ESPN Unlimited subscribers.
Max Verstappen Returns to His Racing Roots
Long before becoming one of Formula 1’s biggest stars, Verstappen was behind the wheel of a go-kart.
The Dutch driver began karting at just four years old and was competing in championships by the age of seven. After establishing himself as one of the sport’s most promising young talents in Belgium and the Netherlands, Verstappen went on to win a string of European and World titles.
His extraordinary 2013 karting campaign ultimately helped propel him towards single-seater racing and, eventually, Formula 1.
Now 28, Verstappen is heading back to the discipline that helped develop the skills that have made him one of the most successful drivers of his generation.
As he explained:
“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.”
He also believes that returning to a kart comes relatively naturally after so many years behind the wheel.
“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.”
Verstappen vs 100 Drivers
The concept behind Max vs 100 is simple: Verstappen will start behind a field of 100 drivers and attempt to hunt down the entire grid.
Among those taking part are a mixture of Red Bull athletes, online creators, sports stars and fans.
Red Bull athletes including ultrarunner Arda Saatçi, basketball shooting specialist Chris “Lethal Shooter” Matthews and freestyle mountain biker Matt Jones will join streamers TheGrefg, Caedrel and TheDonato on the grid.
With 101 karts racing simultaneously, organisers are billing the event as the world’s biggest go-kart race.
For more motorsport coverage, check out Verge Magazine’s previous coverage of Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing, as well as our coverage of Red Bull’s Silverstone activities.
A Brand-New Silverstone Track
While Verstappen knows Silverstone extremely well from his Formula 1 career, Max vs 100 won’t use the traditional Grand Prix layout.
Instead, a purpose-built karting circuit has been created specifically for the challenge by French racing driver and renowned kart designer David Terrien.
Designing a track capable of accommodating 101 drivers simultaneously presented a unique challenge.
“Creating a track for 101 drivers at the same time has never been done, never been seen. So, it’s very exciting,” said Terrien.
The format has also been tested ahead of the main event, with Terrien and test driver Sebastian Job, a two-time iRacing World Champion and Oracle Red Bull Sim Racing driver, putting the concept through its paces.
The pair tested the format with 50 drivers to understand how a large-field kart race could work.
Job believes Verstappen will have his work cut out for him.
“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.”
Max Verstappen Is Ready for the Chaos
Verstappen’s ability to navigate traffic at high speed will be put to the ultimate test.
Rather than starting at the front of the field as he so often does in Formula 1, the Dutchman will have to work his way through a huge pack of competitors while preventing the leaders from escaping.
Terrien believes the unusual format will provide a fascinating demonstration of Verstappen’s racecraft.
“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.”
Verstappen, meanwhile, appears to be embracing the chaos.
Asked what he was most looking forward to, his answer was characteristically blunt:
“Just seeing the carnage unfold in front of me.”
When Is Max vs 100?
Max vs 100 takes place on 16 September 2026 at Silverstone in the UK.
The event will be available to watch live globally on Disney+. In the United States, it will also be shown live on the ESPN App for ESPN Unlimited subscribers, followed by a delayed broadcast on ESPN2 later that day.
With 100 drivers, 101 karts and one of the world’s best racing drivers attempting to overtake the entire field, Max vs 100 could make for one of the most unusual motorsport events of 2026.
And given Verstappen’s attitude towards the challenge, viewers can probably expect plenty of chaos along the way.
