Max Verstappen will start behind 100 go-karts at Silverstone, staring into a wall of exhaust pipes, rear bumpers, and twitching hands. Somewhere near the front, streamer Caedrel and basketball shooting specialist Chris “Lethal Shooter” Matthews will try to escape.
Red Bull calls the September 16 event Max Verstappen vs 100. The assignment sounds simple: start 101st and pass every driver before time runs out.
Nothing about the track will feel simple.
Red Bull revealed the plan barely 48 hours after Verstappen crashed out of the Dutch Grand Prix on the opening lap. He climbed from the damaged car without assistance, but Zandvoort had already fallen silent.
Three and a half weeks later, Verstappen will squeeze into a kart between the Madrid and Azerbaijan Grands Prix. The race offers a sharp change from the wet asphalt and broken carbon fiber of his home weekend.
This time, he will see the trouble coming. He will just have to find a way through it.
The Clock Remains the Biggest Secret
Red Bull says Verstappen must overtake all 100 rivals within an allotted time. Neither Red Bull nor Disney has revealed how long he will receive.
The organizers have also offered no indication that they will announce the limit on race day. They have not said whether Verstappen already knows it or whether they will hide it from him.
That missing detail matters.
Give Verstappen an hour and the task becomes manageable. Give him 15 minutes, and he may need to pass several karts at almost every corner.
Sebastian Job, a two-time iRacing world champion, tested the concept with 50 drivers. Even at half capacity, he said completing the challenge within the available time proved difficult.
Job races professionally for Red Bull’s sim racing operation. He also helped race director David Terrien shake down the custom layout.
After the test, Job offered a blunt assessment. Verstappen has “his work cut out for him big time.”
Until Red Bull publishes the clock, nobody can properly calculate the required passing rate. The secrecy helps the broadcast more than it helps anyone assessing the challenge.
Silverstone Normally Stops at 50 Karts
Red Bull has released no official length or width for the Max Verstappen vs 100 circuit. Terrien designed a custom configuration, but the organizers have kept its dimensions and corner map private.
Kart Silverstone’s regular Grand Prix layout provides a useful comparison. The circuit’s official website lists it at 1,377 meters with 18 corners and space for up to 50 karts.
Red Bull plans to send 101 onto the event layout.
Terrien must accommodate more than twice the regular published field capacity. He needs enough width for passing, enough track length to spread the pack, and enough tight corners to keep Verstappen within reach.
Otherwise, the opening lap will resemble a motorway queue with helmets.
The standard Silverstone adult fleet uses 390cc Sodi RT10 karts capable of reaching roughly 55 mph, according to the venue. Red Bull has not confirmed whether those machines will contest this race.
The unanswered equipment question also matters. Equal karts would place the entire burden on Verstappen’s race craft. A faster kart would boost the passing count but make the challenge feel engineered for television.
For now, Red Bull has confirmed only the central setup: 101 drivers, one custom track, and Verstappen at the back.
One Bad Corner Could Block the Entire Race
In a normal Formula 1 race, Verstappen fights the cars immediately around him. Here, he must read dozens of drivers at once.
The first group may present its best opportunity. Cold tires, poor spacing, and nervous braking could leave gaps everywhere.
They could also create a pileup.
A kart that drops two wheels onto the grass can spin back across the circuit. One tap against a rear bumper can rotate the kart ahead and block everyone behind it.
Verstappen will sit low enough to smell hot rubber and fuel. His steering wheel will kick when the chassis rides a curb, while every helmet ahead will hide part of his view.
To survive, he has to blitz the first wave before the pack settles into a rhythm. Charging blindly into that mess could end the event before the counter reaches double figures.
He must balance aggression with survival. That will not come easily in a field packed with wildly different skill levels.
Experienced karters may defend the apex and force him around the outside. First-time racers could brake early, drift off line, or turn toward an opening they never noticed.
Verstappen therefore cannot rely on a standard racing line. He may need to brake on the dusty inside, hook two wheels across a rumble strip, or abandon one pass to avoid a spinning kart.
If Terrien includes a tight hairpin, Verstappen could dive inside two drivers under braking. A crowded chicane might force him across the curbs while slower karts stack up beside him.
Those moves sound aggressive because they are. Passing 100 drivers demands more than clean one-on-one overtakes.
Karting Taught Verstappen to Fight in Inches
Max Verstappen vs 100 sends the four-time Formula 1 champion back to the machinery that built his instincts.
Verstappen first drove a kart at four. By seven, he had entered championships in Belgium and the Netherlands, according to Red Bull’s official career history.
Karting punished every sloppy input. A driver who attacked a curb too hard could bounce the rear tires clear of the asphalt. Miss the braking point and the grass waited inches beyond the racing line.
Verstappen thrived in that environment.
FIA Karting records show that he won the 2013 KZ World Championship at 15. During the same season, he also captured European titles in the KZ and KF categories.
Those machines demanded strength and precision. KZ karts use gearboxes and front brakes, producing much harder acceleration and braking than the rental-style machines most fans recognize.
Verstappen then jumped into European Formula 3. Within two years, he started the 2015 Australian Grand Prix at 17 years and 166 days, becoming Formula 1’s youngest race starter.
His karting habits never disappeared. Verstappen still spots openings early, rotates a car aggressively, and commits before the driver ahead finishes reacting.
“In go-karts you learn all the basics: starts, defending, overtaking,” Verstappen said in Red Bull’s announcement.
Max Verstappen vs 100 will test those basics without the comfort of clear air. Four world championships will not part the traffic.
Athletes and Streamers Have Their Own Victory Condition
Red Bull has not published the complete entry list, but the confirmed names already make this grid unusual.
Ultrarunner Arda Saatçi will race alongside freestyle mountain biker Matt Jones and Matthews. Streamers TheGrefg, Caedrel, and TheDonato will join them, along with invited fans and other personalities.
Most cannot match Verstappen over a full race. They do not need to.
Holding him behind for three corners could count as a personal win. Forcing him onto the dirty line might produce the clip that follows them for years.
Some drivers may drive hard. Others might try working together.
That plan probably lasts until the first braking zone. In a crowded karting pack, alliances tend to collapse as soon as two drivers want the same piece of asphalt.
Verstappen must also decide how much risk each opponent deserves. He can pressure an experienced driver into defending too late. The same approach against a novice could trigger contact.
Red Bull’s format gives every challenger a simple incentive: become the one kart Verstappen cannot pass.
The Open Radio Could Steal the Show
Drivers cannot normally speak directly to rivals during a Formula 1 race. Max Verstappen vs 100 removes that buffer.
Verstappen usually directs his bluntest comments toward the Red Bull pit wall. At Silverstone, the person blocking him may hear those reactions immediately.
That creates room for more than strategic warnings.
A streamer could taunt Verstappen after shutting the door. Another driver might claim innocence after squeezing him onto a curb. Verstappen could tell someone where he plans to pass, then attack from the opposite side.
Nobody needs a scripted rivalry. One questionable move under braking could start an argument that continues around the circuit.
The radio may also become a weapon. Verstappen could pressure nervous drivers into mistakes, tell a slower competitor to hold a predictable line, or warn the pack about a stopped kart ahead.
His rivals can answer back.
Caedrel built an audience by reacting quickly and speaking without much restraint. Put him on an open channel with Verstappen closing fast, and the conversation could become as entertaining as the pass itself.
Producers will use game-inspired graphics, live race data, and drone footage to track Verstappen through the pack. British comedian Mo Gilligan will lead the broadcast alongside a wider commentary team.
On September 16, the event will stream live on ESPN on Disney+ in participating markets. Availability will vary by region.
In the United States, ESPN Unlimited subscribers can also watch live through the ESPN App. ESPN2 will carry a delayed broadcast later that day.
Silverstone will admit no spectators, so the microphones must supply the personality. With 101 engines screaming together, hearing the insults clearly may become its own technical challenge.
What Happens When the Clock Hits Zero
Max Verstappen vs 100 remains a made-for-television Red Bull stunt. That does not make the traffic problem fake.
The regular Silverstone kart circuit advertises a 50-kart capacity. Job struggled during a test with that number. Verstappen must deal with twice as many drivers while the leaders race away from him.
Several important details remain hidden. Red Bull has not published the time limit, final track dimensions, complete entry list, or kart specification.
Those omissions prevent any serious prediction. They also leave the event balanced between a legitimate driving test and a carefully controlled entertainment format.
If Verstappen receives equal equipment and a tight clock, clearing the field would require an extraordinary passing rate. If Red Bull gives him more power or a generous time allowance, the show will depend on the traffic.
Either version should produce chaos.
Verstappen has already said he wants to watch that carnage unfold. He will get the best seat available, although starting 101st may not feel like a privilege once the first corner disappears behind a swarm of karts.
The open radio adds one final layer. Every blocked pass can become an argument, and every argument can carry into the next braking zone.
On September 16, the counter will begin at 100. Each overtake will remove one name and burn more time.
When the clock hits zero, we will see if the kid who dominated Europe’s karting tracks can still bully his way to the front.
READ MORE: Mekies reflects on Red Bull’s ‘difficult weekend’ in Zandvoort after Verstappen’s crash
FAQs
What is Max Verstappen vs 100?
Max Verstappen vs 100 is a karting challenge in which Verstappen starts 101st and attempts to overtake every other driver before time expires.
When and where will Max Verstappen race 100 drivers?
The event takes place at Silverstone on September 16. Organizers will use a custom karting circuit designed for the 101-driver field.
How long will Max Verstappen have to pass everyone?
Red Bull has not revealed the time limit. It has also not been said whether Verstappen already knows how much time he will receive.
Who will compete against Max Verstappen?
The field includes athletes, streamers, personalities, and invited fans. Confirmed entrants include Caedrel, Matt Jones, Arda Saatçi, and Chris Matthews.
Where can fans watch Max Verstappen vs 100?
ESPN on Disney+ will stream the event in participating markets. U.S. viewers can watch through the ESPN App with ESPN Unlimited, with delayed coverage on ESPN2.
