Max Verstappen admitted that it would be quite embarrassing if he doesn’t manage to win the kart challenge against 100 competitors taking part this Wednesday (the 16th) at Silverstone.
The Formula 1 four-time world champion is competing in “Max vs 100,” a race that will see him start from the back of the grid and, over 30 laps, aim to overtake everyone on track to claim the first place. His foes will include athletes, content creators, and celebrities, and as they are passed, they will be eliminated from the competition.
“Cem é muita gente, sabe? Mas, pelo que me mostraram sobre como montaram a pista, acho que vai ser bom. Ainda assim, com certeza vai ser uma confusão”, disse à ESPN.
Questioned about what his approach will be for the race, Verstappen replied that “I think first I need to understand and see what the level of the other drivers is. I also don’t like thinking too much about the situation. I just need to let things flow and try to get the most out of it.”
“I hope that, with my experience, I’ll be faster than most. I hope. I mean, it would be pretty embarrassing if they were faster than me,” he continued.
The Red Bull F1 driver also revealed that the event will mark his first time behind the wheel of a go-kart. “I don’t miss it. Moreover, in go-karts, since I raced from four to fifteen, if I were to return now, I would feel rib pains. It’s very different in that sense. You can suffer from arm stiffness and similar issues in a kart with a manual gearbox, and I feel I prefer being on a full-size circuit with a GT car.”
“I went go-karting from four to fifteen, so this is a good opportunity to go back to basics and remember how I got into the sport. When we reach the track, the focus will be on learning the line and adapting to the kart’s grip. I think I’ll pick up the pace naturally, but it’s reassuring to know I have the help of the data simulations we gathered during the qualifying sessions,” he added.
“I know some drivers will be very quick and I expect everyone to be highly competitive; it’ll be interesting, and chaotic, to watch the mayhem unfold in front of me. Racing against 100 people will be extremely tough and will require patience to move up through the pack as quickly as possible. I’m looking forward to it; it’s something that, of course, only Red Bull would do. I haven’t driven a kart in several years, so it’ll be fun to return and see how I fare, but there are a lot of people to pass… we’ll see,” he concluded.
