Red Bull Motorsports
Karting
Max vs 100 explained: how the world's biggest karting race will work
Max Verstappen faces 100 drivers in a special Silverstone karting challenge. Here's how the race works, when it starts and how to watch.
Max Verstappen is swapping Formula One for karts as he takes on 100 drivers in a unique racing challenge at Silverstone on September 16, 2026. But this is no ordinary kart race. Verstappen will start at the very back of a 101-kart field and attempt to chase down every driver ahead of him.
The event is designed to turn one of the fundamentals of Verstappen's racing career – overtaking – into the entire challenge. The race lasts 30 laps, with 100 invited participants racing for their own classification while Verstappen takes on the role of the chaser.
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What is Max vs 100?
Max vs 100 will see Verstappen try to overtake 100 drivers in 30 laps
© Joerg Mitter/Red Bull Content Pool
Max vs 100 is an invitation-only karting event featuring 100 participants from around the world, with four-time Formula One World Champion Max Verstappen competing against them in the main feature race.
All 100 participants start ahead of Verstappen, who takes P101 at the back of the grid. His objective is simple: catch and overtake every driver in front of him before the race ends. The unusual format means Verstappen will spend the race working through traffic rather than defending his position at the front.
The participants will be a mixture of athletes, creators, personalities and everyday fans. Confirmed names include ultrarunner Arda Saatçi, basketball shooting specialist Chris 'Lethal Shooter' Matthews, freestyle mountain biker Matt Jones, and creators and streamers TheGrefg, Caedrel and TheDonato.
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How do you win Max vs 100?
The 100 drivers will also be racing for their own position
© Joerg Mitter/Red Bull Content Pool
For Verstappen, the challenge is to overtake all 100 drivers. Starting from P101 means he has the entire field to work through, so his speed alone won't be enough – he'll also need to judge traffic, choose his overtaking opportunities and make the most of the 30 laps available.
The 100 participants have a separate competition of their own. They race for their individual classification, with Verstappen excluded from their points ranking. On the second day, they'll also be divided into 20 teams of five, creating both individual and team classifications.
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How many laps is Max vs 100?
Can Verstappen manage the 100 overtakes quickly enough?
© Joerg Mitter/Red Bull Content Pool
The main race will run for 30 laps, giving Verstappen 30 laps to catch and overtake all 100 drivers ahead of him.
The race starts from a standing start, with Verstappen lining up behind the 100 participants in P101. An F1-style red-light sequence will be used to get the 101-kart field underway.
The 30-lap limit is central to the challenge. Verstappen needs to find a way through the field quickly enough to catch all 100 other drivers before the chequered flag – making every overtake important.
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What happens when Verstappen overtakes a driver?
The Red Bull arch will play a key role in the challenge
© Joerg Mitter/Red Bull Content Pool
A driver is considered overtaken once Verstappen has fully cleared them. From that point onwards, they must stay behind him and maintain a minimum gap of five kart lengths.
They can continue racing against other drivers who have already been overtaken until they next reach the Red Bull arch, which is positioned between the last two corners. The order in which those drivers pass beneath the arch determines their finishing order relative to one another. They must then return to the pits at the end of that lap.
Drivers who fail to return to the pits after being overtaken can receive a black flag. This means an overtake by Verstappen does more than simply move him one place forward – it changes what the overtaken driver can do for the remainder of the lap, before effectively ending their race.
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What is the Fast Lap?
Drivers must use their fast lap within the first half
© Joerg Mitter/Red Bull Content Pool
The Fast Lap is a one-time shortcut built into the Max vs 100 circuit. It gives drivers an opportunity to save time and gain track position, adding another strategic layer to the race.
For the 100 participants, the Fast Lap needs to be used once before the halfway point. Drivers must rejoin the circuit safely after taking the shortcut. If Verstappen catches a driver before they've used their Fast Lap, that driver can use it on the same lap and continue racing if they rejoin ahead of him – although Verstappen can then catch them again.
Verstappen has one Fast Lap too, but his rules are different. He can only use it after the halfway point and cannot use it within three laps following the end of a Full Course Yellow or Safety Car period.
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What's special about the Max vs 100 track?
Max Verstappen’s karting roots helped shape his path to F1
© Marcel van Hoorn/Red Bull Content Pool
The Day Two circuit has been created specifically for the event. It combines part of the Silverstone karting circuit with a custom extension onto part of the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit.
The track also incorporates the special features that make the format different from a conventional kart race, including the Fast Lap and a separate Penalty Lap.
For Verstappen, Silverstone is usually familiar territory. He's won twice in Formula One at the circuit, tackling corners including Abbey, Village, Brooklands, Luffield and Copse. This time, however, the challenge will be very different.
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How is the starting grid decided?
Max Verstappen is no stranger to a karting challenge
© Marcel van Hoorn/Red Bull Content Pool
The 100 participants will go through qualification before the main race in five groups of 20. Each driver gets one flying lap, with their lap times determining the starting positions from P1 through to P100.
Verstappen won't take part in that process. As the chaser, he'll start behind the entire field in P101.
The event itself takes place across two days, with qualifying held on the Silverstone CIK karting track on the first day.
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Who are the 100 drivers?
Verstappen will roll back the years when he jumps into his kart
© Marcel van Hoorn/Red Bull Content Pool
The 100 participants come from a deliberately broad mix of backgrounds, bringing together sports stars, creators, personalities and fans from around the world.
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When and where can I watch Max vs 100?
Max vs 100 takes place at Silverstone Circuit in England on September 16, 2026. Live coverage begins at 5pm UK time, with the race starting at 6pm UK time.
The event will be broadcast live globally on Disney+. In the US, it will also be shown live on the ESPN App for ESPN Unlimited subscribers, followed by a delayed ESPN2 broadcast later that day.
