Max Verstappen will return to karting for an extraordinary event at Silverstone: starting last and trying to overtake 100 opponents.
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Max Verstappen is about to take on a rather unusual challenge. The four-time Formula 1 world champion will simultaneously face 100 karting drivers in a special race called Max vs 100, held at Silverstone.
The event is scheduled for September 16, a few days after the Spanish Grand Prix held in Madrid. The concept promises a particularly spectacular show since Verstappen will start at the very back of the pack with a simple objective on paper, but much more complicated on track: to overtake the 100 competitors placed ahead of him.
The event will be broadcast live worldwide on Disney+ and will benefit from a production specially designed to enhance its spectacular aspect.
Verstappen will have to overtake 100 opponents
Unlike a traditional race, Verstappen’s performance will not be measured solely by his final position. The Red Bull driver will have to try to make his way through a gigantic pack by making multiple overtakes.
For the occasion, a specific track will be built at Silverstone. Its design was entrusted to Frenchman David Terrien, a former racing driver, karting world champion in the youth category, and specialist in karting circuit design.
Verstappen will thus return to a discipline he knows particularly well. Before joining single-seaters and then reaching Formula 1, the Dutchman built much of his reputation thanks to his karting performances.
His 2013 season was notably marked by a series of titles before his move to single-seaters the following year.
“To see the carnage unfold in front of me”
Even after more than a decade spent in single-seaters, Verstappen still considers karting a fundamental school for drivers. The techniques acquired in this discipline remain, according to him, directly useful at the highest level of motorsport.
“In karting, you learn all the basics: starts, defense, overtaking. I obviously spent a large part of my life in karting, so it’s always nice to come back.”
The four-time world champion also believes that the sensations should quickly return despite the years spent away from international karting competition.
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“It’s about understanding the grip of the kart. I’ve spent so many years in karting that the reflexes come back quite naturally.”
But with about a hundred drivers ahead of him at the start, Verstappen already knows that the race could quickly become particularly hectic.
“I’m especially looking forward to seeing the carnage unfold in front of me.”
A show designed like a video game
The organizers do not just want to offer a traditional karting race. Max vs 100 will benefit from a production heavily inspired by the world of video games to allow spectators to follow Verstappen’s progress through the pack.
Specific graphics will be integrated into the broadcast, accompanied by live race data displayed in real time. Drones will also be used to provide cinematic images and follow the many on-track battles.
Another feature of the concept: Verstappen will have a system allowing him to communicate directly with some of his opponents during the event. An additional element intended to enhance the interactive nature of the event.
The Dutchman’s progress should thus constitute the true thread of the broadcast, with a counter allowing viewers to track the number of competitors he has managed to overtake.
A return to roots for Verstappen
Beyond the spectacular aspect, this race will above all allow Verstappen to reconnect with the discipline in which he built the foundations of his career.
The Red Bull driver has never hidden his attachment to motorsport outside of Formula 1. Very involved in sim racing and interested in endurance racing, he regularly uses his free time to multiply experiences away from the Grand Prix.
This time, however, the challenge will be very different: 100 drivers to overtake, a start from the back of the pack, and only one race to try to beat them all. See you on September 16 at Silverstone to find out how far Verstappen can climb.
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