Max Verstappen said it would be quite embarrassing if any of the 100 competitors he faces in Wednesday’s go-karting event at Silverstone turns out to be faster than him, but acknowledged the challenge ahead as he prepares to start from the back of the grid with the goal of passing all of them.
The four-time Formula 1 champion will begin at the rear of a 101-kart grid, working through the field over 30 laps while the other competitors drive identical karts to keep conditions equal. Rivals come from around the world and include Red Bull athletes, content creators, journalists and fans. Once Verstappen passes a competitor, that driver is eliminated and returns to the pits.
He had not seen a full list of his rivals but said how the track has been set up looks good, and that it will still be hectic. On tactics, he said he wants to first understand and see the level between drivers. He said he tries not to overthink situations and prefers to go with the flow and make the best of it. He said he hopes his background means he will be faster than most, calling it embarrassing if that doesn’t prove to be the case.
The karting context
He said he has not driven a proper go-kart since 2016, having spent the years from age four to 15 in them, and does not miss it. He said the sport hurts his ribs, causes arm pump and is physically very different from what he does now. His preference for free time away from F1 is GT car racing on large tracks, including an attempt at the Nurburgring 24 Hours earlier this year.
The event, called Max vs 100, airs live on Disney Plus. Verstappen learned to drive in karts and used that environment to develop the car-control instincts that have made him the most dominant F1 driver of the current era. Whether those instincts translate after a decade away is the question Wednesday’s event will answer.
Other F1 drivers have weighed in on how they think the challenge will go, with most predicting he will get through the field comfortably once he has assessed the level of the competition. Verstappen’s own assessment is similar, hedged only by the admission that he cannot be entirely certain until he is on track.
