Verstappen asks Red Bull: 'Am I allowed to shunt them?' — The 100-kart spectacle coming to Disney+

I have followed Max Verstappen since his days as a hot-headed young driver on European karting circuits. Today, at 54, I still hear that two-stroke engine sound in my memory — and now, it echoes once more in an event that Verstappen himself admitted was a 'joke' with his team. The 'Max vs 100' event — where the four-time F1 champion will take on 100 other kart drivers on a purpose-built track at Silverstone — is generating a wave of excitement ahead of its Disney+ streaming on September 16. But what caught my attention was not the event's grand scale, but a small detail in the conversation between Verstappen and Red Bull. During a live stream, Verstappen asked his team: 'Am I allowed to shunt them?' — and Red Bull's response was: 'No, ideally not.' This moment, seemingly just a joke, reveals an interesting truth about the relationship between a champion and his team. This event is not just an entertainment spectacle. It is a signal of how top drivers are expanding their personal brands beyond F1. With Mo Gilligan — a British comedian — hosting, and David Terrien — the 2026 Formula A world champion — designing the track, the event is built as a genuine entertainment product, not just a race. Terrien, the track designer, claims that designing a track capable of hosting 100 drivers simultaneously has 'never been done, never been seen before.' This is a promotional statement, but it shows the event's scale. Verstappen will start from the back of 100 karts and his goal is to overtake all of them — a structure designed to maximize drama. But what's even more interesting are Verstappen's comments about karting. He said: 'Karting teaches you all the fundamentals: race starts, defending, and overtaking.' This is not empty talk. Anyone who has followed the careers of current F1 drivers knows that karting is the foundational training ground for all racing skills. Verstappen, who has won four world championships, still holds deep respect for the discipline. Fan reactions on Reddit further highlight the amusement of the 'shunt' conversation. One fan commented: 'Frowned upon but not prohibited' — a humorous observation about the ambiguity of racing rules. Another mentioned the famous 'incident' between Verstappen and Charles Leclerc at Silverstone in 2026, when Leclerc famously mispronounced 'incident' as 'inchident.' This event, from my perspective, is not just entertainment. It is an implicit acknowledgment of the lack of competition on the current F1 track. When a driver dominates to the point where fans must seek drama in an artificial karting event, that is a thought-provoking sign about the state of the sport. I could be wrong — perhaps this event is simply a smart marketing campaign by Red Bull, a way to humanize Verstappen's image before the public. But I believe there is a deeper layer of meaning. When a four-time champion must create artificial competition for entertainment, it says much about his dominance on the real track. The 'Max vs 100' event will stream on Disney+ on September 16. I will watch with the curiosity of someone who has spent nearly four decades observing this sport. Will Verstappen really overtake 100 drivers? Will he keep his promise not to 'shunt' anyone? And more importantly — will this event open a new trend for other F1 drivers in building their personal brands? The answer, like the sound of a karting engine, will echo for a long time.