Max Verstappen takes on 100 rivals in a live Disney+ karting spectacle at Silverstone

Disney+ and ESPN have teamed up with Red Bull for Max vs 100, a genuinely unprecedented motorsport event airing live worldwide on 16 September through Disney+’s ESPN section, at no extra cost to existing subscribers. The premise is simple to state and enormous to actually pull off: four time Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen will attempt to overtake 100 rivals in a single race.

101 karts, one grid, at Silverstone

The event takes place at Silverstone, one of motorsport’s most iconic circuits, where 101 karts will line up on the grid together for what’s being billed as one of the largest kart races ever staged. The closed door competition brings together Red Bull athletes, gaming talent, content creators, streamers, media personalities and surprise guests from around the world, all tasked with trying to keep Verstappen from making his way back to the front.

British comedian Mo Gilligan, a three time BAFTA winner, hosts the live broadcast, bringing his own energy to the event alongside a wider presenting team offering expert race analysis and commentary throughout.

A callback to how Verstappen’s own career started

The format deliberately echoes the way Verstappen built his early racing career, starting at the back of the field and working his way forward position by position. This time, though, the sheer number of opponents makes the outcome anything but a foregone conclusion.

The 100 competitors lining up against him span a wide mix of sport and culture. Red Bull athletes from very different disciplines join the grid, including ultrarunner Arda Saatçi, basketball trick shot specialist Chris “Lethal Shooter” Matthews, and freestyle mountain biker Matt Jones, alongside Red Bull streamers TheGrefg, Caedrel and TheDonato, plus content creators, entertainment figures and everyday fans invited from around the world. All 100 are there to answer a question every racing fan has asked themselves at some point: could you actually beat Max Verstappen if the odds were tilted in your favour?

For Verstappen, the event doubles as something of a return to his roots. Long before Formula 1 titles and record books, karting was where he built the instincts and technique that would go on to shape his entire career. Verstappen described karting as where the fundamentals get built, covering starts, defending and overtaking, and noted that having spent such a significant part of his life karting, it’s always good to go back to it, adding that the key is reading the kart’s grip, something that comes back naturally after so many years on track.

Disney+ ESPN Red Bull event backed by senior leadership on both sides

Sean Doyle, vice president of unscripted content at Disney+ EMEA, described the moment the team first heard the Max vs 100 concept as an immediate sense that they were onto something genuinely special, framing the idea of taking one of the world’s best drivers and asking him to overtake 100 rivals as the kind of event nobody would want to miss. He positioned the collaboration with Red Bull as an ambitious, entertaining and genuinely unpredictable live event, and part of a broader push to expand Disney+’s live sports and entertainment offering, aimed at bringing motorsport excitement to a new generation of fans.

Mo Gilligan echoed that enthusiasm about the project, describing the combination of Verstappen, 100 drivers and a genuinely massive race as guaranteed to make for a spectacular show, fast, unpredictable and above all fun. He joked about having secured himself the best seat in the house, and said he’s looking forward to bringing Disney+ viewers along for the ride.

A custom circuit and race direction from a karting world champion

The Silverstone race layout was purpose built for the event by race director David Terrien, a French racing driver, respected kart designer and youth karting world champion, whose work made it possible to run 101 karts on track at the same time for the first time ever.

The broadcast itself leans on video game style graphics and cinematic drone footage to bring fans closer to the action, produced by Whisper, the award winning production company behind several of the most ambitious sports and entertainment storytelling projects globally. Real time race data and on screen graphics will let viewers follow every stage of the competition as it unfolds. One particularly novel touch: Verstappen will be able to communicate directly with his rivals during the race, giving audiences unprecedented access to the conversations shaping how the race plays out.

Part of a growing ESPN sports lineup on Disney+

Max vs 100 adds to ESPN’s expanding sports offering on Disney+ across select European markets, which already includes live coverage of major sporting events, flagship studio programming, original productions and more. That lineup spans the UEFA Women’s Champions League in Europe, men’s UEFA club competitions, domestic football, local sports channels and major US sports in selected markets, alongside full coverage of Formula E starting with the 2026/27 season.

Max vs 100 at a glance