‘Max v 100’ – Verstappen warns rivals he will ‘plough them into the barrier’

Max Verstappen has joked that he won’t be taking prisoners in his ‘Max v 100’ kart race at Silverstone, either they move out of the way or he’ll “plough them into the barrier”.

‘Max vs 100’ is a one-off motorsport event where F1’s four-time world champion Verstappen will take on 100 competitors in a 30-lap go-kart race around a purpose-built track at Silverstone.

Max Verstappen warns 100 rivals ahead of Max vs 100 kart race

Verstappen will start from the back of the grid in 101st place, with the odds – 100 versus 1 – firmly in the favour of his rivals.

Verstappen, though, already has a game plan in mind, which he revealed during a recent stream.

“Oh, I’m not gonna be nice,” he laughed. “Actually I asked Red Bull ‘can I crash into them?’

“And no, I can’t crash into them.”

Well, not on purpose.

“Oops, my foot slipped off the pedal!”

Verstappen doubled down on that at the Madring.

Asked what his message was to his rivals, he replied to F1: “You better move out of the way, otherwise I’m going to plough them into the barrier.

“I was very serious. Like, you better move when I’m coming…”

The good news for his rivals is they will get a warning that he’s coming, as he’ll have open communication with the entire field.

The rules:

* Every kart is identical. The combined weight of the driver and kit must reach 85kg

* The grid order will be determined by one flying lap around the circuit

* A driver who gets overtaken by Max Verstappen is eliminated

* Every driver has one shortcut to use during the race, but it must be used within the first 15 laps

* Verstappen also has one shortcut, but he cannot use it until the last 15 laps

On a more serious note, Verstappen concedes it won’t be easy passing 100 karts, but he’s up for the challenge.

“I’ll just rock up and have a good time, to be honest. Let’s see how it goes. But yeah, it’s a lot of people,” he said.

“Starting from the back, it’s going to be challenging, but I hope I can catch them all. But we don’t know yet. So I will just rock up and do my thing.”

However, former Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has warned that the event isn’t without risk for his former charge.

“It’s a fun challenge, but it’s also not without danger when there are collisions before Max and less experienced drivers are involved in battles. It will certainly be exciting,” he told OE24.

Verstappen’s rivals will have a masterclass on Tuesday with Verstappen’s stablemate Arvid Lindblad.

The Racing Bulls driver will practice with the 100 rivals during ‘Arvid’s Training Camp’ on Tuesday.

The invite read: “Tuesday is practice day. Together with your team, you’ll take part in activities and challenges at the hotel, and practice on a karting circuit with Arvid Lindblad in Arvid’s Training Camp. Make sure to rack up those points for a chance to win.”

Notable names in the field include ultrarunner Arda Saatçi, motorcycle racer Billy Bolt, NBA shooting coach Chris ‘Lethal Shooter’ Matthews and freestyle mountain biker Matt Jones. There is also a host of content creators, personalities and streamers.

‘Max vs 100’ takes place at Silverstone on 16 September, and while no spectators will be allowed, fans can follow the action live on Disney+ and the ESPN App. Live coverage begins at 5pm UK time, with the race starting at 6pm UK time.

The race will also air live on the ESPN App for ESPN Unlimited subscribers in the U.S. before a delayed ESPN2 broadcast later that day.

Comedian Mo Gilligan will be the MC for the event.

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