Max Verstappen Will Start Last Against 100 Celebrities, Drivers and Influencers at Silverstone Kart Race

Max Verstappen is usually trying to keep 21 other Formula 1 drivers behind him. On September 16, Red Bull says he will have 100 karts to chase.

The event, called “Max vs 100,” is scheduled for Silverstone Circuit in England, where Verstappen will start at the rear and attempt to pass every competitor. Red Bull describes it as the world’s biggest go-kart race, with the field including athletes, celebrities, content creators, public figures, and fans invited from around the world.

For American viewers, the race will stream live on Disney+ and the ESPN App. ESPN Unlimited subscribers will get the live presentation in the U.S., followed by a delayed ESPN2 broadcast later the same day. Red Bull says the production will use drone footage, game-style graphics, live race information, and direct driver communications, allowing Verstappen to talk with the people he is trying to catch. That should produce better television than the likes of Love Island.

According to Verstappen.com, his racing foundation began in karts at age seven. He won Belgium’s Mini championship in his first season before moving into international KF3, KF and KZ events.

In 2013, the Dutchman won the European KF and KZ crowns and the CIK-FIA KZ world title. Verstappen summed up that season by saying, “Winning the KZ European Championship will be my best memory of the season.”

Verstappen has scored four Formula 1 championships, 71 victories, and 48 poles. Red Bull has extended his deal until the conclusion of 2030, continuing a relationship that started with his 2016 promotion to the main team.

“In go-karts you learn all the basics: starts, defending, overtaking. Of course, I spent a long period of my life go-karting, so it’s always nice to return. It’s about understanding the grip of the go-kart. I’ve done so many years in go-karting that you quite naturally get back into things. I will be looking forward to just seeing the carnage unfold in front of me,” Verstappen said in Red Bull’s announcement.

Red Bull says the Silverstone layout was built specifically for the 100-kart format by race director and French driver David Terrien, a former youth karting world champion and kart designer. According to Terrien, no previous race has placed 100 competitors on a single track, creating a major traffic challenge for Verstappen as frontrunners seek clear air.

A test involving 50 karts already exposed the difficulty. Sebastian Job, the two-time Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup champion listed by Oracle Red Bull Sim Racing, said the full challenge would be “extremely difficult” after the half-sized run proved demanding within the available time. Red Bull Sim Racing also lists two Formula 1 Sim Racing Teams’ Championships.

It will come just ahead of British Kart Championships meetings scheduled at Silverstone from September 17–19. Kart Silverstone’s own 2026 program includes seven adult heats championship rounds, three heats per round, 10 minutes of practice, and 12-minute heats across 70kg, 85kg, and 100kg classes. Its adult endurance races last 60 minutes, with selected championship entries starting at £105.

That is a normal karting schedule. Verstappen versus 100 opponents is not.

Red Bull says the race will air globally on September 16, 2026, with regional streaming availability varying by location. The format gives Verstappen the least comfortable advantage in motorsport: being the fastest driver on the track while starting behind nearly everybody else.