Verstappen passes 100 amateur karters in 14 laps in exhibition race

Max Verstappen overtook 100 amateur kart drivers in just 14 laps and 35 minutes during an exhibition race at Silverstone. The event allowed him a maximum of 35 laps and 75 minutes to pass every competitor on an adapted circuit at the Grand Prix venue in Northamptonshire. At 28 years old, the Red Bull driver found himself 37th after a chaotic opening lap in which numerous participants crashed or spun out, prompting a brief suspension of racing. “When I went to the grid and I saw wherever I had to start, with 100 karts in front of me, I was a small spot worried,” he said. “After my first lap with all the carnage, I did think 'OK, we have got this under control'. From then on, I could really have a lot of fun trying to hunt them all down.” Once he found a rhythm, Verstappen began overtaking drivers one by one. “Once I started getting into a rhythm and was able to overtake them one by one and saw the gap closing, that was really exciting.” He had warned competitors over the radio that “it's not a foundation event.” By the start of lap six he had risen to 10th place, and by lap ten he was running fourth, with each driver he passed required to retire from the race. At that point the field consisted solely of TV personalities, sports figures and social media influencers—no professional racers remained. The remaining competitors were Dutch F1 journalist Jacky Martens, Red Bull engine builder Lewis Osler and YouTuber Zac Alsop. Each of the three was granted an additional “fast lap” that allowed them to cut a section of the circuit in an attempt to stay ahead of Verstappen longer, but he inevitably caught them all. Martens, who had started from pole position after qualifying, was the final driver to be passed as Verstappen completed his challenge with 40 minutes and 21 laps still available. Verstappen’s racing roots lie in junior karting, and he went on to secure four consecutive Formula 1 world championships between 2021 and 2024. “It was great to be back in a go-kart again and go back to basics, it reminded me of racing back in the day,” he added. “It's a really beautiful circuit and well designed. I had a great time and it was good to come out with the win.”