Formula 1 star Max Verstappen in a kart: 100 overtaking manoeuvres in just 14 laps

It is the biggest kart race ever held: Max Verstappen took on 100 opponents in the ‘Max vs 100’ fun race at Silverstone – and made his way to the front of the field in just 14 laps. The Red Bull Racing driver started from 101st on the grid and took just under 35 minutes to overtake the field, which comprised Red Bull athletes, fans, journalists, content creators and streamers from 40 different countries.

The format was as simple as could be: practice took place on Tuesday, followed by a straightforward qualifying session on Wednesday. The race itself took place on Wednesday evening and was a real nail-biter. Verstappen had already overtaken more than ten drivers before he even reached the starting line. And the four-time champion capitalised on the chaos that erupted after the starting signal.

F1 star Max Verstappen admits: he was ‘a bit worried’ before the start

As soon as he overtook an opponent, that driver was eliminated. After two minutes, the Formula 1 driver had already knocked 63 drivers out of the race and was running in 37th place. After that, the race became a bit more manageable, and Verstappen put on an irresistible chase. On average, he overtook an opponent every 21 seconds. Afterwards, the 71-time Grand Prix winner admitted: “When I drove to the starting grid and saw where I had to start – with 100 karts in front of me – I was a bit worried.”

Knifflige Aufgabe: Max Verstappen fuhr von Startplatz 101 los

Foto: Red Bull Content Pool

“After my first lap amidst all that chaos, I thought to myself: “Right, we’ve got this under control!” It was proper fun, and once I’d found my rhythm, overtaking one rival after another and seeing the gap get smaller and smaller, it was really exciting,” the Grand Prix star went on to say.

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“It was great just to be back in a kart and return to the roots of motor racing – it reminded me of the races from back in the day. It’s a really lovely track, well laid out, and it was a nice touch that I could also receive all the data over the radio. I had a brilliant day and it was lovely to take the win,” added Verstappen.