Max Verstappen stormed from the back of a 101-kart grid to win a frantic race at Silverstone in blistering time.
The four-time world champion needed just 14 laps – 37 minutes – to overtake 100 karts driven by content creators, athletes and general motorsport fans as part of the Red Bull-run âMax vs 100â event.
It took place on a purpose-built track at Silverstone, incorporating its kart venue with some of the grand prix circuit like Brooklands and a lap time was roughly two minutes aboard a go-kart.
Verstappen had the task of starting at the back of the grid and overtaking all 100 competitors within 30 tours and the moment an amateur was passed, they were eliminated.
All drivers were given identical karts but the amateurs also had the advantage of utilising a âfast lapâ in the opening half of the race, where they could take a short cut to pull further clear.
Yet it very quickly became evident that Verstappen would have no difficulty in completing the challenge, after incredibly overtaking 64 karts on a first lap where he displayed his professional driver abilities to weave through the carnage.
âWhen I was walking to the grid and saw where I had to start, I was like, âoof, thatâs very far backâ,â said Verstappen. âBut after my first lap I was like, âah, I think weâre alright, I think weâre goodâ.â
The Dutchman even resorted to cutting some corners to complete an overtake, giving a very no holds barred feel to the contest which had very few rules on how a driver could go racing.
But even the dirtiest of tricks wouldnât have done the job for an amateur, as they simply had nothing to resist the might of a Formula 1 driver who kept coming at them in the opening tours.
By lap four Verstappen had overtaken 75 karters before making that 84 the following tour in what was very reminiscent of his comeback drive at the 2024 Brazilian Grand Prix – if only the drivers were professional!
The Dutchman was clearly loving it by this point, at one stage even going flying over an inside kerb and leaving some debris on the circuit, but this didnât hold him back.
âIâm coming for you,â Verstappen told a rival at one stage, having been able to speak to them via radio.
Verstappen just kept going and come lap seven heâd climbed up into the top four, but from this point the carnage naturally died down as the Dutchman set about taking the final few.
They were even given an extra âfast lapâ to try and extend the contest, but Verstappen still closed on the top three of content creator Zac Alsop, journalist Jacky Martens and Red Bull employee Lewis Osler.
He even finished them off in style, taking Alsop and Osler at once with a move down the inside of the penultimate corner before a similar move on Martens at the final turn to complete the race.
âThe first lap was just chaos, you want to survive, and then after that it was a bit like just hunting them down so that was nice,â said Verstappen. âJust put the laps in yourself and catch them one by one.”
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