Max Verstappen overtook 100 amateur karters in 14 laps at Silverstone, completing Red Bull’s “Max vs 100” exhibition in 35 minutes despite starting 101st.
Verstappen had 35 laps and 75 minutes to hunt down every one of the 100 amateurs racing against him. He needed less than half of that. By the time the chequered flag fell, the Dutchman had done it in 14 laps and 35 minutes, leaving 21 laps and 40 minutes unused, according to the BBC.
The field wasn’t made up of racing drivers. It was TV personalities, YouTubers, content creators and fans, none of them professionals, racing on an adapted go-kart track cut into the Silverstone grand prix circuit. Verstappen, competing on the same weekend his mic stayed hot for race radio, set the tone early with a blunt warning to the field: it’s not a charity event
.
A First Lap That Wiped Out Nearly a Third of the Field
Verstappen started dead last, 101st, and the opening lap turned into carnage. Crash.net reports he took out 64 rivals on that first lap alone, cutting across the grass to dodge a crash that eliminated roughly 30 competitors and triggered a full course yellow. The BBC’s account matches the scale of the wreckage, noting racing was briefly suspended after many drivers crashed or spun, and that Verstappen had climbed to 37th by the end of that opening lap.
Verstappen credited his positioning for the early surge. My first lap was quite incredible. There was a lot happening and a few karts got stuck. I managed to be on the outside, so I didn’t get stuck.
He added: That made me get like 60 people in the first lap, so that helps a lot getting through to the front.
From 37th to the Final Three: Martens, Osler and Alsop
Both outlets agree on the shape of Verstappen’s charge from there. He cracked the top 10 by lap six and reached fourth by lap 10.
Martens had actually taken pole position in qualifying and became the last driver standing before Verstappen finally got past him. To keep the chase competitive as Verstappen closed in, organizers gave the leading group an extra “fast lap” allowing them to cut a corner — what Crash.net says race officials dubbed the Chucky Lap
, a nod to a previous remark from McLaren boss Zak Brown about Verstappen. The BBC frames it as a bonus lap for the top three; Crash.net specifies it went to the top four and notes Verstappen was in line for his own Chucky Lap after lap 15 but never needed it.
The Go-Pro, the Kerb and the Radio Chatter
Verstappen’s kart took some punishment along the way. Crash.net reports he launched over a kerb during the run and lost part of his equipment in the process, telling his live mic: I think I lost my go-pro [camera].
His trademark bodyweight technique from junior karting also made an appearance. Verstappen explained his approach through the slower sections: Sometimes a little bit of hopping out of the corner at very low speed, it helps you accelerate a bit, especially at the start, it makes a big difference.
When he finally sealed the win with what Crash.net describes as an audacious dive-bomb past Osler and Martens, Verstappen’s reaction over the radio was pure enthusiasm: Oh that was simply lovely, wasn’t it!
He followed it with a declaration that stood out even for a driver who has won four straight F1 titles between 2021 and 2024: I think this was my best [win] one yet!
His First Win of 2026 Comes Off the Grand Prix Track
Speaking in his post-race interview ahead of the podium ceremony, Verstappen framed the karting run in terms he’d use for any race weekend. This is my first win of the year, so I take this one,
he said — a line Crash.net attaches specifically to the karting event rather than the grand prix calendar.
Crash.net published a top-10 finishing order that underlines just how varied the field was. Behind Verstappen, Martens and Osler came Alsop, off-road motorcyclist Pol Tarres, YouTuber Paky TWC, content creator RDjavi, car photographer Larry Chen, mountain-bike rider Bernard Kerr and actor Neo Yau.
- Verstappen started 101st and finished in 14 laps, 35 minutes.
- Roughly 30 competitors were eliminated in the opening-lap crash, per Crash.net; the BBC describes multiple crashes and a brief stoppage without giving a specific casualty count.
- The last three drivers standing were Jacky Martens, Lewis Osler and Zac Alsop.
- Verstappen had 21 laps and 40 minutes to spare when the challenge ended.
Neither outlet says whether “Max vs 100” will return as a recurring event, and Verstappen’s own words leave the moment sitting on its own terms — a karting exhibition he rated above whatever came before it, delivered less than halfway through the time he was given to finish the job.