Red Bull’s “Max vs 100” was designed as an outsized karting test: Max Verstappen began 101st at Silverstone and had to overtake every one of 100 challengers. He made it look much shorter than the format suggested, completing the task in 35 minutes and 13 laps, with organisers having allowed up to 30 laps and 75 minutes.
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A frantic first lap changed the race
The start was disorderly. A pile-up involving more than 30 karts brought out a yellow flag, but Verstappen still passed more than 60 rivals on the opening lap. By the time racing resumed, he had climbed from last to roughly the mid-30s.
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That progress was not entirely clean. The Athletic reported that Verstappen ran onto the grass after misjudging a corner on lap seven, briefly losing time.
17 It was a rare interruption rather than a meaningful setback: his pace through the remaining field was overwhelming.
Why the challenge was supposed to be difficult
The event was not a conventional race in which Verstappen simply needed to take the chequered flag first. Every competitor he passed was eliminated, shrinking the field as he advanced.
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The 100 challengers also had a tactical tool intended to slow his charge. Each could take one Fast Lap—a shortcut available during the first half of the race—while Verstappen’s own shortcut could not be used until the second half.
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All drivers used identical karts, with sealed ballast used for anyone under the minimum weight.
35 Even with those measures, the field could not contain Verstappen for long.
The final two and the finishing move
As the event neared its end, Dutch F1 journalist Jacky Martens and Red Bull Powertrains technician Lewis Osler were the final competitors ahead of Verstappen. Reports said the pair tried to work together to delay him, but Verstappen passed both in a single move to end the challenge.
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The scale of the performance is clearer in context: more than 60 overtakes came on lap one, and the remaining field was erased in little more than half an hour.
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A one-off event built for a 101-kart grid
“Max vs 100” took place on a purpose-built, modified kart circuit at Silverstone, using the British Grand Prix venue as the setting for a grid of 101 karts.
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18 The field included amateur challengers drawn from groups such as content creators, athletes and fans.
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The September 16 event was broadcast live globally on ESPN via Disney+, with additional U.S. availability through the ESPN App for eligible subscribers and a later ESPN2 airing.
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The takeaway
The gimmick was straightforward—one Formula 1 champion against a huge amateur field—but the result offered a vivid demonstration of Verstappen’s karting racecraft. A multi-kart pile-up, an early yellow flag, a grass excursion and shortcuts for his opponents did not prevent him from finishing in less than half the maximum allotted distance and time.
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Some post-race reports describe the result as 14 or 15 laps, likely reflecting differences in live lap tracking, but Reuters and ESPN both reported the core result as 35 minutes and 13 laps.
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