Four-time Formula 1 World Champion Max Verstappen will start at the back of a 101-kart grid to overtake 100 drivers in a new live motorsport event streaming on Disney+ Philippines at 12:00 AM on September 17.
Titled “Max vs 100,” the first-of-its-kind race is co-created by Disney+ and Red Bull. Hosted at the iconic Silverstone circuit on a custom-built track, the closed event gathers a global lineup of athletes, creators, media personalities, and fans to test whether a stacked field can hold off one of the world’s top racing drivers.
A Diverse 100-Driver Grid
The broadcast recreates the grassroots format of Verstappen’s early career: starting from the back of the pack and carving through traffic. However, the sheer volume of 101 karts racing simultaneously introduces unprecedented unpredictability.
The 100 drivers lining up against Verstappen represent various sectors of sport, gaming, and online culture:
- Red Bull Athletes: Ultrarunner Arda Saatçi, basketball shooting specialist Chris “Lethal Shooter” Matthews, and freestyle mountain biker Matt Jones.
- Streamers & Content Creators: Popular digital personalities including TheGrefg, Caedrel, and TheDonato.
- Global Participants: Everyday fans, media personalities, and surprise international guests invited to challenge the F1 star.
For Verstappen, the event serves as a return to the foundational motorsport discipline where he built his race craft before reaching Formula 1.
“In go-karts you learn all the basics: starts, defending, overtaking,” said Max Verstappen. “Of course, I spent a long period of my life go-karting, so it’s always nice to return. It’s about understanding the grip of the go-kart. I’ve done so many years in go-karting that you quite naturally get back into things.”
Production and Circuit Engineering
To handle 101 karts competing at once, French racing driver and former youth karting world champion David Terrien designed a purpose-built track layout at Silverstone specifically for this broadcast.
The live production, handled by global production company Whisper, will feature gaming-inspired graphics, cinematic drone footage, and real-time telemetry data integrated into the screen layout. In addition, the broadcast setup allows Verstappen to speak directly with his competitors over radio channels while racing.
Triple BAFTA-winning British comedian Mo Gilligan will lead the presentation team, delivering play-by-play energy alongside a panel of expert race analysts.
“I’m absolutely thrilled to be teaming up with Disney on this hugely ambitious project,” said Mo Gilligan. “Max Verstappen, 100 drivers and one massive race – this show is going to be truly spectacular. It’s fast, unpredictable and, above all, a lot of fun. Somehow, I’ve got the best seat in the house, and I can’t wait to take everyone watching on Disney+ along for the ride.”
Expanding Sports Content on Disney+
The live stream marks a strategic expansion of unscripted sports and entertainment programming for Disney+ across international markets.
“The moment we heard the idea for ‘Max vs 100’, we knew it was something really special,” said Sean Doyle, Vice President, Unscripted, Disney+ EMEA. “Taking one of the greatest racing drivers in the world and asking him to overtake 100 drivers is the kind of challenge you can’t help but want to see play out. Working with Red Bull, we’ve created a live event that’s ambitious, entertaining and genuinely unpredictable. It’s another exciting step as we continue to expand our live and sports entertainment offering on Disney+, and we can’t wait to bring the excitement of live motorsport to a new generation of fans.”
The event is a Red Bull Media House production, commissioned by Angela Jain, Head of Content, Disney+ EMEA, and Sean Doyle. Executive producers include Antonia Howard-Taylor (Disney+ EMEA), Ignacio Leon (Red Bull), Kutlu Baklacioglu (Red Bull Head of Motorsports Network), and Simon Corney (Whisper).
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