Max Verstappen will take part in a race at Silverstone next month. Keen F1 fans will note Max Verstappen already took part in a race at Silverstone last month. And this isn’t another ‘Bahrain GP But In Malaysia’ type affair.
Oh no. It is a ‘100 Go-Karters vs Four-Time F1 World Champion’ thing. And the kicker here is the four-time F1 world champion has to start at the back of the grid… and overtake everyone.
Get ready then, for ‘Max vs 100’ – no need to overthink this one, guys – on 16 September broadcast live on Disney+ and ESPN. We’re told Max’s 100 competitors “come from every corner of sport and culture”.
So there are people like ultrarunner Arda Saatçi, basketballer Chris ‘Lethal Shooter’ Matthews, mountain biker Matt Jones, streamers TheGrefg, Caedrel and TheDonato, “plus content creators, personalities and everyday fans invited from around the world”.
“In go-karts you learn all the basics: starts, defending, overtaking,” said Verstappen. “Of course, I spent a long period of my life go-karting, so it’s always nice to return. It’s about understanding the grip of the go-kart.
“I’ve done so many years in go-karting that you quite naturally get back into things.”
It’s a purpose-built layout of course, and when pushed on what he was most looking forward to in the race, Verstappen said: “Just seeing the carnage unfold in front of me.”
Interestingly, we’re told “Max will be able to communicate directly with his competitors during the race”, which promises to be nothing short of telly gold. Who’s got twenty quid on the Dutchman dive-bombing at least 30 of them into the first corner?