Verstappen passes 100 rivals in 14 laps to win record-breaking Silverstone kart event

The four-time Formula 1 world champion was tasked with overtaking 100 competitors in what Red Bull described as the largest go-kart race ever staged. Verstappen completed the challenge on lap 14 of a planned 30-lap race, clearing the entire field in just 35 minutes.

A specially built grid saw 101 karts line up on the Silverstone asphalt, with Verstappen placed right at the rear. In front of him were a varied group of Red Bull athletes, content creators, streamers, journalists, players and fans representing 40 nations.

The event followed a practice day on Tuesday, before the drivers completed a single qualifying session ahead of the race. Every overtake was final. A driver was considered out as soon as the rear of Verstappen’s kart drew level with the front of theirs.

The Dutchman made an immediate impact at the start, passing more than 10 drivers before reaching the start line.

The opening lap proved decisive. With more than 100 karts funnelled into the first corners, the field became congested and several drivers were caught up in incidents. By the end of the opening stages, Verstappen had already moved into 37th position, with 63 drivers eliminated before completing a full lap.

Once the chaos subsided, Verstappen settled into a rhythm and began picking off the remaining drivers. The race director awarded the leading group an additional fast lap in an effort to keep the contest alive. However, Verstappen completed his mission on the following lap, reaching the front with 35 minutes remaining.

Verstappen said he had initially been concerned by the scale of the task, but quickly gained confidence after surviving the first-lap chaos.

His fastest lap was a 2:20.673, more than 2.6 seconds quicker than Martens’ next-best 2:23.327. Across the 35-minute race, Verstappen averaged an overtake every 21 seconds.