Can anyone stop Verstappen? Red Bull announces ‘Max vs 100’ kart event

The event, titled ‘Max vs 100’, will take place on 16 September 2026 and will see Verstappen begin from the back of a grid containing 100 drivers. His objective is simple in principle, but hugely difficult in practice: overtake every competitor ahead of him.

Red Bull has described the event as one of the biggest go-kart races ever staged. The race will be shown live globally on Disney+, subject to regional availability, while viewers in the United States will also be able to watch live via the ESPN App if they have an ESPN Unlimited subscription. A delayed broadcast will follow on ESPN2 later in the day.

The challenge represents a return to Verstappen’s roots. Long before becoming a four-time Formula 1 world champion, the Oracle Red Bull Racing driver built his reputation in karting. He began karting at the age of four and was competing in championships by the time he was seven.

Verstappen went on to collect titles in Belgium, the Netherlands, Europe and at world level before making the move into single-seater racing. His final season in karting, in 2013, helped launch him towards Formula 1, where he has since become one of the sport’s most successful drivers.

The grid will feature a varied mix of Red Bull athletes, celebrities, content creators, personalities and fans from around the world. That should make for a chaotic opening phase, particularly with Verstappen attempting to work his way through dense traffic while drivers at the front try to build a gap.

A purpose-built circuit at Silverstone has been created for the occasion by race director David Terrien, a French racing driver, kart designer and former youth karting world champion. Terrien believes the unprecedented size of the grid will make the race a unique spectacle.

The layout has already undergone testing at Kart Silverstone, involving Terrien and test driver Sebastian Job. Job, a two-time iRacing world champion and Oracle Red Bull Sim Racing driver, warned that Verstappen faces a serious task.

Fans will be able to follow the action through live race data, game-inspired graphics, drone footage and radio-style communication between Verstappen and his rivals.