WATCH | Four-time F1 world champion takes on 100-kart challenge at Silverstone. What happened next was incredible
Max Verstappen (left) and Max Verstappen competing (right) Photograph: (Red Bull)
Max Verstappen went from 101st to victory in 35 minutes at Silverstone, overtaking 63 karts on the opening lap in the Max vs 100 challenge
Oracle Red Bull Racing driver and four-time Formula 1 World Champion Max Verstappen delivered a spectacular comeback at Silverstone, winning Max vs 100, the largest go-kart race ever staged, after starting from 101st on the grid. Verstappen caught every driver ahead of him in just 35 minutes, producing a stunning opening lap in which he overtook 63 karts as he fought his way through the huge field.
The unique race brought together 100 creators, journalists, athletes and personalities from around the world, with all competitors racing in identical karts. A participant was eliminated as soon as the rear of Verstappen’s kart drew level with the front of their kart. India had three representatives in the event, Red Bull athletes Jonathan Gaming and Techno Gamerz, along with content creator Shreeman Legend. The trio also took part in a practice race with VISA Cash App Racing Bulls driver Arvid Lindblad a day before the main event. Shreeman Legend (Siddhant Joshi), driving Kart No. 33, was the highest-finishing Indian, taking 32nd place. BGMI star Jonathan Gaming (Jonathan Amaral), in Kart No. 16, finished 36th, while Techno Gamerz (Ujjwal Chaurasia), driving Kart No. 72, finished 39th.
Max Verstappen on the epic race
“When I went to the grid and saw 100 karts in front of me, I was a little bit worried.” “After my first lap with all the carnage, I thought, ‘Okay, we’ve got this under control!’ It started to become really fun, and once I got into a rhythm, I was able to overtake them one by one and saw the gap closing. That was really exciting.” “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. I had a great day and it was good to come out with the win.”
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For three of India’s biggest gaming and content creators, racing against four-time Formula 1 World Champion Max Verstappen at Silverstone was an experience far removed from the virtual world. For the Indian trio, however, sharing the track with Verstappen proved to be the biggest takeaway.
Techno Gamerz, who finished 39th in Kart No. 72, said moving from gaming to real-life racing was a completely different experience. “It was completely different. In gaming, you’re used to making quick decisions and staying calm when there’s a lot happening on screen, but here everything was real – the speed, the traffic, the contact and the physical side of driving the kart.
“Once the race started, that competitive instinct kicked in. I was thinking about how to survive the traffic, where I could find space and how I could move forward. And then you remember that Max Verstappen is coming through the field behind you! “Honestly, it was an experience I couldn’t even have imagined. This wasn’t even a dream of mine, because I never thought I’d get an opportunity like this.”
For Techno, the most memorable moment came after Verstappen caught him. “Definitely getting to race with Max,” he said. “After he caught me, there was a yellow flag and I ended up driving with him for more than half a lap. Max’s kart was literally just ahead of mine and I was thinking, ‘This is crazy.’ “I feel like I got a little taste of what the other drivers must feel when Max overtakes them! Of course, all three of us from India finishing inside the top 40 made us really proud, but actually sharing a track with Max is something I’ll remember for a very long time.”
Shreeman Legend, the highest-finishing Indian in 32nd place, knew Verstappen would eventually come hunting through the field.
“The first priority was to stay out of trouble. With 100 karts around you, there was so much happening that you couldn’t spend the whole race looking behind and worrying about where Max was,” Shreeman said.
“I actually kept checking behind me and for a while I couldn’t see him, so I thought maybe we were safe! My approach was to stay on the road, avoid the chaos and make as few mistakes as possible. “But Max was finding gaps and using parts of the circuit that the more experienced karters understood much better than we did. By the time I realised where he was, he had already found his way through.”
