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Breaking down how Verstappen tore through the Max vs 100 field
These are the key moves and skills Max Verstappen used to navigate the carnage and tear through the field in the Max vs 100 challenge.
From the moment the lights went out and Max vs 100 started, it became clear just how difficult stopping Max Verstappen was going to be. Starting from 101st place on the grid, the four-time Formula One world champion immediately set about flying through the field of athletes, content creators and journalists – passing 10 drivers within seconds.
By the end of the opening lap, the Dutchman had already navigated his way past 63 of the 100 drivers standing between him and the front. Overall, it took just just 14 laps and 35 minutes for him to reel all his rivals in. So, how did he do it? From a lightning-fast start to finding gaps others couldn’t see, these are the tricks that helped him charge through the field.
Max Verstappen flew into action faster than anyone else on the grid
© Mark Roe/Red Bull Content Pool
Bunny hopping to increase momentum
Before the race began, fans could see Verstappen bouncing up and down in his kart, in a bunny hop style. By bouncing quickly, his kart would move forward with a little more momentum, allowing him to accelerate more quickly than his opponents right from the start.
It’s something I learned when I was seven years old, in mini-karts
He took off faster than anyone else, leading some viewers to suggest his kart was more powerful than the others. But all the karts had the same amount of power, and Verstappen’s pace off the mark was simply down to his racing experience and fast reactions, while the other drivers were also worried about not crashing into each other.
“It’s something I learned when I was seven years old, in mini-karts. I had standing starts and I had to do the same thing. It works,” he said in his post-race press conference. With less experienced drivers on the grid, he was the only one who was using such a unique tactic.
Cutting corners
By the time the second corner of the race arrived, Verstappen was already finding advantages where no one else could. Instead of getting caught up in all of the chaos and collisions as the midfield came out of the first turn, he cut the corner by going over the grass, overtaking a handful of other racers in the process. It’s something he’d have been given a hefty penalty for in Formula One, but it was a smart way to gain an advantage and stay out of trouble in the early stages of this race.
Verstappen's years of karting experience shone through
© Mark Roe/Red Bull Content Pool
His car was shedding weight
Another small benefit came later in the race, as things started falling off his kart. As he was in sixth place, hunting down the five drivers in front of him, a camera fell off the back of his kart. While he didn’t need the weight reduction to win the event, he joked with the presenters about the advantage it gave him. “You see, that was tactical,” he said, once he realised the camera had fallen off the back of his kart.
He began taunting his opponents
The final tactic that the Oracle Red Bull Racing driver used was vital in the closing stages of the race, as he began to trash talk the drivers ahead of him. He was able to speak to the other drivers via a microphone in his helmet, taunting them as he got close to an overtake.
Verstappen enjoyed some friendly trash talk with his competitors
© Joerg Mitter/Red Bull Content Pool
They need to focus because I’m coming to get them
He put his rivals ahead under pressure, saying, “They need to focus because I’m coming to get them.” He even turned around and mimed talking with his hand to another driver after he went past them.
One of his opponents was YouTuber Zac Alsop, who said, “Don’t be like that,” when the Dutchman was taunting him. Verstappen then showed how seriously he was taking the event, saying, “It’s not a charity event, is it?”
It was an enjoyable return to karting for the Formula One star
© Joerg Mitter/Red Bull Content Pool
The Formula One driver taking any race event seriously isn’t a surprise, but it was great to see him showcase his karting skills against less-experienced drivers. Maybe budding racing drivers can learn something from Max’s tactics.
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