All you need to know about Max Verstappen's insane karting challenge

Max Verstappen is set to take on 100 rivals in a specially staged kart race dubbed 'Max vs. 100'.

The four-time F1 champion faces a unique twist: he will start at the back of the field and must fight his way through the entire grid to win.

The event has already attracted significant attention, but what exactly does the challenge involve, when does it start, who is Verstappen up against, and where can fans watch it?

What is Max vs. 100?

Max vs. 100 will be held at Silverstone, the home of the British Grand Prix. The race will not take place on the full Grand Prix circuit, which would be far too long for the format, but on a specially designed layout.

That karting layout was created by David Terrien, who will also act as race director on the day.

The circuit has been designed to maximise overtaking opportunities, which makes sense given Verstappen has to pass 100 opponents inside 30 laps. That works out to an average of more than three passes per lap for the Red Bull driver.

Starting positions are set by a qualifying session, with the 100 challengers split into five groups of 20, each getting a single flying lap to post the fastest possible time. The quickest of the 100 will start on pole, while the slowest will line up directly ahead of Verstappen.

Once a rival has been passed, they are immediately eliminated from the race. A driver is only classified as overtaken once Verstappen's kart has fully passed theirs.

Any additional rules?

Weight is factored in, up to a point. Every driver must weigh at least 85 kilograms, with any shortfall made up using ballast on the kart.

Karts are highly sensitive to weight, so organisers want to prevent anyone gaining an unfair advantage. Drivers who weigh more than 85 kilograms receive no compensation the other way.

Another twist designed to spice up the action is a 'fast lap' available to everyone involved. Verstappen's 100 opponents can each use theirs once during the first half of the race, while Verstappen himself gets one fast lap in the second half.

The fast lap allows a driver to cut a section of track once, saving valuable time.

It has also been confirmed that Verstappen will be able to communicate with all 100 rivals during the race. That should make for entertaining viewing, with fans at home able to listen in on the exchanges between the Dutchman and the rest of the field, promising more than a few amusing moments.

Who are the opponents?

Verstappen's 100 opponents form a mixed bag of international content creators, influencers, Red Bull athletes, television personalities and F1 journalists.

Red Bull appears to have deliberately picked participants from all over the globe, from the United States to Australia and from South Africa to Norway.

The names most likely to give Verstappen genuine trouble on track include GoKartGod, an American content creator who specialises in karting; Si Hyun Park, a Korean professional drift racer; David Egan, founder and driver of Drift Games, and Wirtual, the Norwegian YouTuber known for the racing game Trackmania.

There are also several Red Bull athletes from other motorsport disciplines involved, including Billy Bolt and Pol Tarrés from enduro and Sarah Lezito from motorcycle stunt riding.

There is also speculation that Red Bull Racing sim driver Sebastian Job could take part, though that has not yet been officially confirmed.

Where can you watch it, and when?

The biggest question for anyone planning to tune in is exactly when and where to watch.

The entire event is being streamed live on Disney+. Coverage begins at 5 pm BST, with the race itself getting underway at 6 pm, and is expected to last around an hour.