Max Verstappen returned to his karting roots in spectacular fashion on Wednesday, overtaking 100 competitors to win the unusual “Max vs 100” challenge at Silverstone in just 35 minutes.
The Red Bull driver started 101st on a grid featuring athletes, content creators, journalists and other public figures. He was given 30 laps, or 75 minutes, to work his way through the field, but needed only 14 laps to reach the front.
Verstappen made his biggest gains immediately, passing 63 drivers on the opening lap as several competitors collided or spun in the chaos. He then continued his charge through the field, reaching seventh place after 15 minutes and gradually closing on the three leaders.
“My first lap was quite incredible,” Verstappen said afterwards. “There was a lot happening and actually a few cars got stuck and I always managed to be on the other side, so didn’t get stuck. And that made me get like 60 people in the first lap. So that just helps a lot, getting through to the front.”
Journalist Jacky Martens, Red Bull Powertrains technician Lewis Osler and YouTuber Zac Alsop occupied the top three positions as Verstappen approached the final stages. Even an additional fast lap available to the leaders was not enough to prevent the Formula 1 champion from completing his comeback.
The event was held on a specially built circuit combining 1.3 kilometers of Silverstone’s permanent karting track with a further 1.15 kilometers of temporary track created for the challenge. Verstappen was able to communicate with competitors during the race, adding another unusual element to the event.
Asked where he would rank the victory among his many wins, Verstappen replied: “I think this is the best one yet!”
The event also produced a few amusing moments, including when Verstappen briefly went off track after misjudging a corner. A weight then came loose from his kart, making it slightly lighter. The commentators immediately reached out to Verstappen about the incident, to which he jokingly replied: “You see, that was tactical.”
The event marked Verstappen’s return to what he described as “proper go-karting” for the first time since 2016. The four-time world champion has often spoken about his connection with karting, which formed a major part of his early racing career.
“It’s just great that with Red Bull they always come up with some crazy fun things and it suits me as well,” he said.
“I can really be myself and I think also the way it was organised today, I know that it requires a lot of effort to be able to do something like this.”
Verstappen’s next competitive appearance will come in Formula 1 at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix scheduled from 25-27 September. He currently sits sixth in the 2026 drivers’ championship.
