Max Verstappen is set to return to his racing roots in a karting event against 100 other drivers at Silverstone Circuit. The Red Bull driver admits he is unsure what to expect but is ready for what he predicts will be a chaotic race.
Verstappen, who last competed in a serious go-kart in 2016, will start from 101st place and attempt to overtake every opponent in 30 laps. Nevertheless, he remains optimistic about the track layout he has been shown. "A hundred is a lot, but I think how they've set up the track from what they've shown me, it will be good. But it's still going to be hectic, for sure," he told ESPN.
The 28-year-old said he doesn't want to overthink the situation. "I just need to go with the flow and try to make the best of it," he added. With a karting background from age four to 15, Verstappen hopes to be faster than most. "I'm hoping that with my background, I should be faster than most. I hope! It would be quite embarrassing if they're faster than me!" he joked.
However, Verstappen admits returning to karting is physically demanding. "I don't miss it. With go-karting, because I did it from when I was four until 15, to go back now, your ribs are hurting. It's very different. You can get arm pump in a shifter, and I just feel like I enjoy more being on a big track with a GT car," he explained.
This event is one of Verstappen's side activities amid a challenging Formula 1 season. New F1 regulations and the struggles with the team's in-house engine built with Ford have left the Milton Keynes squad fighting on the periphery of the podium. Verstappen has also competed in endurance races like the 24 Hours of Nurburgring in a Red Bull-backed Mercedes AMG.
In Red Bull's official preview, Verstappen described the race as a chance to revisit his roots. "I have driven in karts from the ages of four to fifteen years old, so this is a nice opportunity to go back to basics and revisit how I got into the sport in the first place," he said. He added that data from qualifying sessions would help him adjust quickly on track.
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