'Max vs 100' suddenly looks small after wild new challenge suggested

Last week, the four-time world champion swapped his RB22 for a karting challenge at Silverstone, taking on a specially designed circuit in an event that proved demanding for many of his rivals. For Verstappen, however, it turned out to be a walk in the park, as he secured victory after just 13 of the 30 available laps and completed the challenge in only 35 minutes.

The event attracted significant media and social media attention, particularly given that the Dutchman has become increasingly involved in high-profile challenges outside Formula 1 in recent times, having already competed in iconic events such as the Nürburgring 24 Hours.

Speaking on the MontoyAS podcast, the former Colombian F1 driver praised the concept behind Red Bull’s events, highlighting the challenge of starting from the back of the field and trying to overtake as many competitors as possible.

He noted that Red Bull has previously organised similar challenges in a variety of formats, including downhill and endurance events, and said it is particularly interesting to see how drivers adapt to the different situations.

Montoya then suggested taking the concept even further by putting all of the current F1 drivers in identical rental karts and letting them race against each other. He joked that the cameras would have to be switched off, but believes such a showdown would provide the drivers with a huge amount of fun and would be a great experience for them.

The success of Red Bull’s Max vs 100 challenge has already fuelled speculation about taking the concept even further, with Max Verstappen potentially facing twice as many opponents in a future edition.

The Dutchman had little idea of what to expect when he arrived at Silverstone for the challenge, having never faced such a large field in those conditions. However, after getting a few laps to familiarise himself with the circuit and assess the pace required, Verstappen quickly understood how he needed to approach the task.

Seeing the enormous number of karts lined up ahead of him initially made the challenge look far more complicated. Once the race began, however, the four-time world champion quickly found his rhythm and worked his way through the field despite the chaos created by so many competitors fighting for position.

Verstappen ultimately made the original challenge look remarkably straightforward, and the success of Max vs 100 has now opened the door to an even more ambitious version of the event, potentially featuring 200 opponents.