Max Verstappen overtakes 100 go-kart drivers in 14 laps to win Silverstone exhibition

Event format and starting grid

Red Bull staged the Max vs 100 go-kart race on Wednesday, 16 September 2026, at a purpose-built temporary circuit at Silverstone. Race director and track designer David Terrien designed the layout specifically to accommodate a 101-kart starting grid. Four-time Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen started in 101st position, placed at the rear of a field consisting of athletes, content creators, mechanics, journalists, and fans. The participants had completed practice runs on Tuesday and a single qualifying lap ahead of Wednesday's race. Under the rules, any driver was instantly eliminated once the rear of Verstappen's kart drew level with the front of their kart. Organizers set a maximum limit of 30 laps and 75 minutes for the Dutch driver to overtake every opponent.

Opening-lap eliminations and radio exchanges

Verstappen gained ground instantly at the start, overtaking more than ten drivers before crossing the official start line. The tight opening hairpin caused severe congestion, with several karts colliding and spinning into reverse positions on the track. Two minutes into the race, Verstappen had climbed to 37th place after 63 drivers were eliminated without completing the first lap. Onboard microphones and cameras allowed live communication between Verstappen and the rest of the field. On lap 7, Italian creator Patrick Tremolada, racing under the moniker Paky TWC in sixth place, asked Verstappen over the team radio not to pass him, though Verstappen overtook him shortly afterwards.

“When I went to the grid and I saw where I had to start, with 100 karts in front of me, I was a little bit worried.”

Pursuit of the leading pack

At the front of the field, pole-sitter Jacky Martens, YouTuber Zac Alsop, and Red Bull Ford Powertrains technician Lewis Osler established an initial lead of approximately 12 seconds. To defend their positions, the race director granted the lead trio an extra fast lap on lap 12. Verstappen reduced the deficit by three seconds per lap, overtaking an opponent every 21 seconds on average across the race. On lap 13, Verstappen passed both Alsop and Osler in a single corner to move into second place. He overtook Martens on lap 14, bringing the contest to an end in 35 minutes with 16 laps remaining uncompleted.

“After my first lap, with all the carnage, I did think, 'Okay, we have got this under control!' Once I started getting into a rhythm, was able to overtake them one-by-one and saw the gap closing, that was really exciting.”

Max Verstappen140.673

Jacky Martens143.327

Max Verstappen

140.673 seconds

Jacky Martens

143.327 seconds

Data from the article text

Final standings and broadcast

Martens finished the race in second place, while Osler took third on the podium alongside his team's lead driver. Alsop secured fourth position, followed by off-road motorcyclist Pol Tarrés in fifth. Verstappen recorded the fastest lap of the event at 2 minutes 20.673 seconds, which was 2.654 seconds quicker than Martens's best time of 2 minutes 23.327 seconds. Comedian Mo Gilligan presented the event, which was streamed globally on Disney+ and on the ESPN App in the United States, followed by a broadcast on ESPN2 at 19:00 ET. The exhibition took place three days after Verstappen finished second behind Kimi Antonelli at the Madrid Grand Prix.