Wednesday, 16 September 2026
ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MAX VERSTAPPEN’S INSANE KARTING CHALLENGE
Today’s the day: Max Verstappen gets back in a kart and faces 100 opponents. All you need to know about the four-time F1 champion’s unique challenge is here!
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| ARTICLE © Red Bull Content Pool |
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.
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| © Red Bull Content Pool |
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.
- Ian Parkes
Tuesday, 15 September 2026
CYCLING LEGEND DIED BROKE IN CHICAGO
In June 1932, a man was buried at public expense in an unmarked grave outside Chicago, because nobody came to claim the body.
Thirty-three years earlier, he had been the fastest bicycle rider in the world.
Marshall Walter Taylor got the nickname "Major" as a teenager in Indianapolis, doing trick riding outside a bike shop in a military-style uniform to pull in customers. The name stuck longer than anyone expected.
By 1898 he held the American records at seven different distances, from the quarter mile up to two miles. In August of that year, at Manhattan Beach in New York, he lowered the paced mile twice in one afternoon and left it at 1 minute 41 seconds. That mark stood for nearly three decades.
Then Montreal, August 10th, 1899. Taylor beat Tom Butler in the final of the one-mile sprint and became the professional world champion. He was 20 years old and the second Black athlete ever to win a world title in any sport, after the boxer George Dixon.
What that sentence leaves out is the cost.
Southern promoters simply refused his entries. In 1897 he was turned away at Louisville and across the whole Southern circuit, which ended his run at the national points title before it really started. Hotels threw him out, or quoted him a rate they knew he couldn't pay. Riders formed combinations on the track to box him against the rail, and in 1901 he wrote that essentially the entire American field was riding against him rather than for themselves.
At a race in Taunton, Massachusetts in September 1897, a rider named W.E. Becker finished third behind him, rode up, dragged him off his bike, and choked him until the police pulled him off. Taylor was unconscious for about a quarter of an hour. The officials ordered the race rerun, but he was in no condition to start it.
Becker was fined 50 dollars. Other white riders chipped in to help him pay it.
Taylor was a devout Baptist and wouldn't race on Sundays, which cost him real money and contributed to losing a disputed national championship in 1898. He held the line anyway.
He went to France in 1901 and found crowds that treated him like the star he was. He raced there again in 1902 and 1903, toured Australia and New Zealand, came back for a second European run in 1907, 1908 and 1909. Even that had limits. In a Paris hotel in 1907 he was asked to move rooms after American tourists complained about sharing the building with him.
After he retired the money went. Bad investments, illness, a marriage that ended. He self-published his autobiography in 1928 and sold copies door to door. He died on June 21st, 1932, in the charity ward of Cook County Hospital. He was 53.
In 1948, a group of former racing cyclists from the Olde Tymers Athletic Club decided that grave wasn't good enough. Frank Schwinn, of the bicycle company, paid for a proper plot and a bronze marker. On May 23rd they moved him to a better part of the same cemetery and put his name on him.
Near the end of his book, Taylor wrote that life is too short for a man to hold bitterness in his heart, and that is why he had no feeling against anybody.
He was quicker than all of them, and kinder than most.
#MajorTaylor #CyclingHistory #TrackCycling #BikeRacing
- BikePush
NAIROBI TO HOST THE 2029 WORLD ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS IN HISTORIC FIRST FOR AFRICA
This will be the first time the World Athletics Championships are staged in Africa with Kenya, the second-most successful nation in championship history, hosting the sport’s flagship event.
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| Picture by Stephen Pond/Getty Images |
The World Athletics Championships will be staged in Africa for the first time in 2029.
Nairobi, Kenya, has been selected to host the 2029 edition following a decision by the World Athletics Council.
Two years later, the event will head to Germany after Munich beat bids from London and Rome to secure hosting rights for the 2031 Championships.
"The quality, ambition and commitment demonstrated by all four candidates underlines the strength and global appeal of the World Athletics Championships," World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said Tuesday (15 September) after announcing the council's decision.
"Nairobi presented a compelling and emotional bid, and taking the World Athletics Championships to Africa for the first time will be historic."
The decision was taken after a two-day meeting in Budapest, Hungary.
Kenya is the second-most successful nation in World Athletics Championships history, and previously staged the 2007 World Cross Country Championships in the port city of Mombasa, while Nairobi hosted the 2017 World Youth Championships and the 2021 World Athletics U20 Championships.
Nairobi plans to stage the 2029 edition at its iconic Kasarani stadium which also hosted the World Youth Championships and has a renovated capacity of 48,000.
"We accept this honour and want to promise the global community that Kenya will continue to be a home of champions in matters of athletics," said Salim Mvurya, Kenya’s cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports.
"The world will come to a country where running is more than a competition, it’s our national story and where every generation believes that the next world champion can emerge from."
It is another step for Africa in welcoming major events. Next month, the continent hosts the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Senegal, and is in line to stage the FIFA World Cup for the second time in 2030 when Morocco co-hosts the event with Spain and Portugal.
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| Picture by Stephen Pond/Getty Images A general view of the Kasarani Stadium. |
Beijing, People's Republic of China, hosts next year's World Athletics Championships before the event heads to Nairobi. The event will then return to Europe in 2031.
Munich 2031 will mark the third time Germany hosts the World Championships after Stuttgart in 1993 and Berlin in 2009.
"For us, hosting such a major sporting event is far more than top level sport. We want to create an impact that reaches beyond the stadium. This World Championships are intended to encourage the young people to believe in their own potential," said Ronald Rauhe, the Minister of State for Sport in Germany.
- Evelyn Watta
AL AIN 4-0 AL NASSR: RONALDO AND CO SUFFER HEAVY DEFEAT IN UAE RETURN
Rahimi brothers torment Ronaldo as Al Ain batter Al Nassr in AFC opener
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| Nassr's Portuguese forward #07 Cristiano Ronaldo attempts a scissors kick during the AFC Champions League Elite (ACL) football match between Al-Ain and Al-Nassr at the Azza Bin Zayed stadium in Al-Ain on September 15, 2026. AFP-FADEL SENNA |
Cristiano Ronaldo and Al Nassr came to Al Ain with a team packed with some of the biggest names in football.
They left having been completely outplayed.
Al Ain produced a superb performance to defeat Al Nassr 4-0 at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium in their AFC Champions League Elite opener, on a night when very little went right for Ronaldo and his teammates.
And once again, the name Rahimi was at the heart of Al Nassr’s problems.
Rahimi brothers run the show
Houssine Rahimi, the younger brother of Al Ain star Soufiane Rahimi, scored twice before his older brother added the third.
Houssine’s opening goal came after a poor back pass from Saad Al Nasser presented him with the opportunity. The 24 year old kept his composure and finished calmly.
He struck again in the second half before his older brother joined the party.
Soufiane scored Al Ain’s third before Giorgos Giakoumakis completed the rout with the fourth.
Houssine with two. Soufiane with one.
It was the Rahimi brothers show in Al Ain.
And there is some history here too.
Soufiane was one of the main reasons Al Ain knocked Ronaldo and Al Nassr out of the AFC Champions League in 2024. He scored the winner in the first leg and then struck twice in Riyadh as Al Ain eventually progressed on penalties.
More than two years later, his younger brother joined him in causing the Saudi side more misery.
Ronaldo left frustrated
For Al Nassr, it was an abysmal night.
A side featuring Ronaldo, Sadio Mane and João Félix simply could not find an answer to Al Ain.
Ronaldo became increasingly frustrated as the match progressed as he wasn't getting enough service from his teammates.
Even when the Portuguese star finally got a late opportunity from a free kick, UAE goalkeeper Khalid Eisa was there to deny him. Eisa also made another brilliant save earlier in the second half.
What a night for Al Ain in the AFC Champions League Elite.
And what a terrible evening for Ronaldo and Co.
Al Nassr returned to Asia’s biggest club competition dreaming of finally conquering it with Ronaldo.
Their first night back could hardly have gone worse.
- Shamseer Mohammed
BRUNO FERNANDES 'FIRST KICK' VAR AUDIO RELEASED AS MAN UNITED PUNISHMENT RECOMMEND
Bruno Fernandes was not cautioned despite appearing to kick Phil Foden while the Manchester City forward was on the floor, whereas Foden was sent off for his reaction towards the Portuguese midfielder.
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| Bruno Fernandes got away with a booking in the Manchester derby |
Howard Webb has said Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes should have been shown a yellow card for appearing to swipe at Phil Foden, who was sat on the floor during the Manchester derby. Foden then reacted, kicking back and catching Fernandes with both feet in the lower abdomen, sending the Portuguese midfielder to the ground.
Referee Michael Oliver had no hesitation in producing a red card for Foden, who was left stunned, while Fernandes went unpunished despite kicking the City player first. Video Assistant Referee (VAR) could not recommend a yellow card because Oliver had already seen and acted on the incident.
Speaking on Match Officials Mic'd Up, chief refereeing officer Webb said: "So, taking those in order, Michael, I agree with the red card for Phil Foden for violent conduct. He kicks out with force into the upper body of Bruno Fernandes. We saw a player sent off for Aston Villa earlier in the season. Joao Gomes was sent off for a very similar thing, kicking with the studs into the body.
"And that's seen by the referee on the field, and that's the on-field call, a red card for Foden. Now, when you look at the footage, there is that petulant kick by Bruno Fernandes into the backside of Foden. It is more petulant than violent. To be violent conduct, it has to have excessive force or brutality, and when you look at that, particularly in full speed, it doesn't have those elements.
"So therefore, this would be a yellow card offence. And the VAR can't step in to recommend the referee looks at the screen to give a yellow card. Of course, if all of this is missed and nothing is given against Foden, then the VAR could step in so the referee could see Foden's actions for a possible red card, and they would capture Fernandes' yellow card action. But because the referee gave the red card on the field, that option is not open to the VAR."
Pro Ref, formerly PGMOL, have also released the VAR audio, with both the VAR and assistant VAR concluding that Fernandes kicked the ball rather than Foden himself.
Assistant VAR: "It was for a kick-out. It looks like he's given a foul and then the legs came up."
VAR: "Michael [referee], the penalty is checked and cleared. Just confirm your on-field decision in terms of discipline here, please."
Referee: "Red card, Phil Foden. Kick out into the body of Bruno [Fernandes]. The foul is by Bruno on Phil. I think he's in a tangle and when they are separating, I think Phil kicks him. But they will check."
VAR: "That looks like a clear red card to me. Secondary movement, watch broadcast. Okay, happy to confirm? Red card. Happy to confirm? Confirming the red card for Manchester City 47. A kick to the midriff with two feet."
"Just roll through to check that Bruno does nothing. I'm absolutely certain he doesn't. No, he kicks the ball; it's fine."
Assistant VAR: "No, the other one [Bruno's first kick]. That's not what they're talking about. That is the one they're talking about."
VAR: "Minimal, minimal. That's not for us; that's fine."
Assistant VAR: "Yeah, I agree."
At the time, a Premier League explanation read: "#MUNMCI – 23’ The referee's call of red card to Foden for violent conduct was checked and confirmed by VAR."
Meanwhile, Roy Keane went as far as suggesting that Fernandes 'was the one who was violent' during the challenge. He told Sky Sports: "Bruno tackles him, fouls him, gives him a little boot on the floor, reacts and he's now sent off. Bruno catches him, Foden sent off, I guess it's classed as violent and to me, Bruno is the one who violent.
"I have to call it out, called it with Kyle Walker a few years ago when he went down after a head butt, we see violent differently. I don't think that's a red card for Foden, I don't. 'Did the referee get given a chance?'
"Foden is daft here but so is Bruno. If Bruno got sent off, we'd be saying, 'it was a daft, a bit silly.' Everyone's in a union, you've got to look out for each other. We saw Walker a few years ago do it with a head butt, Bruno has got to do better there. It's a big game, you've got to look after the opposition players as well. Foden, I don't think it's a red card."
Foden, who was sent off in the 23rd minute of the Manchester derby, now faces a three‑game ban, meaning the England international will miss Thursday night's Carabao Cup tie against Norwich City.
Premier League rules state that red cards issued in league matches carry over into other domestic competitions, including the Carabao Cup and FA Cup. Yellow cards, however, remain competition‑specific.
As a result, City’s clash with Norwich will be the first match Foden sits out under the suspension. He will also be unavailable for City's Premier League return against Sunderland at the Etihad Stadium this weekend, as well as the trip to Liverpool on October 11 following the international break.
- Bruna Reis
FIDE VICE PRESIDENT GEORGIOS MAKROPOULOS HAS PASSED AWAY
FIDE is deeply saddened by the passing of Georgios Makropoulos, FIDE Vice President, Honorary President of the Greek Chess Federation, International Master, seven-time Greek Champion, and one of the most influential figures in international chess administration over the past four decades.
Born on September 29, 1953, Makropoulos was among Greece’s leading players in the 1970s and 1980s. He won the Greek Championship seven times between 1971 and 1985, represented his country at three Chess Olympiads and the European Team Championship, and earned the International Master title in 1979.
His contribution to chess, however, extended far beyond the board. Few people have been as closely involved in the development and governance of international chess across such a long and transformative period. Georgios Makropoulos devoted much of his life to chess. His knowledge, experience, energy and commitment left a lasting mark on FIDE and on generations of people across the global chess community.
FIDE extends its deepest condolences to his family, friends, colleagues, and the Greek chess community.
His contribution to our game will be remembered with gratitude and respect.
Rest in peace, Georgios.
- FIDE
Monday, 14 September 2026
TOYOTA GAZOO ARE MANUFACTURERS’ CHAMPIONS! | FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP FOR MANUFACTURERS
Congratulations to Toyota GAZOO Racing WRT, who have secured the 2026 Manufacturers’ Championship, marking the brand’s tenth title! 👏🔥
What a season! 🏁🇯🇵
#FIA #WRC
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