Max Verstappen Takes on 100 Racers in an Unusual Silverstone Karting Challenge

Max Verstappen is known as one of Formula 1’s greatest drivers, but the four-time F1 world champion’s passion for motorsport extends well beyond Grand Prix racing. Today, September 16, at noon Eastern Time (5 p.m. BST), Verstappen will trade his F1 car for something much more basic: a kart.

Verstappen vs. 100 content creators and Red Bull athletes

The event features 101 identical karts sourced from Eastern Europe. The remaining 100 karts are driven by a mix of content creators and Red Bull athletes, all hoping to beat one of the world’s best drivers at his own game.

The competitors start ahead of Verstappen and receive a slight advantage. If a kart is overtaken, it is eliminated from the race. Despite those challenging conditions, Verstappen overcame the field to win at Silverstone after completing 30 laps on a purpose-designed circuit.

Max Verstappen follows other F1 karting challenges

Other F1 drivers have taken on similar challenges in recent years. Alex Albon raced against 25 kids last year, while Oliver Bearman raced against 50 amateurs last month.

Neither challenge featured as many competitors as Verstappen’s event, and neither driver has the same level of profile as the four-time world champion.

It may have been years since Verstappen traded his kart for something bigger and faster, but there is little reason to doubt his ability behind the wheel of a kart.

David Coulthard backs Verstappen to win

“Max is quite unique compared to other Grand Prix drivers in that he has already completed the Nürburgring 24 Hours in a GT3. He tests those cars a lot. I saw him say it’s been a while since he’s done karting. Do you honestly think he hasn’t done a bit of testing? It’s Chris Verstappen! He’s a serial winner, so he’s not here to put the spotlight on someone else. He’s going to go for it and try to achieve this goal,” said David Coulthard, a Grand Prix winner and one of Red Bull Racing’s first factory drivers.