January 23, 2026
Local
Local
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 23 — Two foreign nationals have become the first individuals in Malaysia to be charged in court for littering under the newly enforced anti-littering law, according to a report by The Star.
MONTREAL, June 13 — Lewis Hamilton has strongly dismissed Italian media reports suggesting Ferrari is planning to sack team principal Fred Vasseur and that he may already be reconsidering his future with the team, calling the speculation “complete nonsense.”
Speaking ahead of this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix — a race he has won a record-equalling seven times — the seven-time world champion urged reporters to “stop making stuff up” in an impassioned response during a press conference at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
“To everyone writing stories about me thinking of not racing — I’ve only just started with Ferrari,” Hamilton said. “I’m here for several years and fully committed. I’m in this for the long haul. There’s absolutely no question about my focus or goals with this team.
"There’s zero doubt — so please, stop inventing stories.”
The reports in question claimed Vasseur was to blame for Ferrari’s underwhelming season start, despite expectations of a strong title challenge against McLaren. After nine races, Ferrari trails McLaren by 197 points in the constructors’ standings, with both Hamilton, 40, and Charles Leclerc still chasing their first wins of the season.
Hamilton expressed his full support for Vasseur, who played a central role in bringing him to Ferrari.
“I just heard about the stories before I got here — I haven’t read them, but it’s disappointing to hear such rumours,” Hamilton said.
“I love working with Fred. He’s the key reason I’m at Ferrari, and I’m incredibly grateful for that. We’re working hard behind the scenes. Things aren’t perfect yet, but we’re building — together.
“I want Fred to stay. I believe he’s the right person to lead us to the top. What’s being written is simply nonsense.”
Asked directly whether Vasseur’s departure was possible, Hamilton replied: “As far as I know, that’s not even on the table — and I certainly wouldn’t support it.
“Whether it’s a new driver, engineer or team leader, embedding new people takes time and comes with a big impact. That kind of change is not what we need. I’m here to win with Fred, and he has my full support.”
Earlier in the day, Carlos Sainz — the driver Hamilton replaced at Ferrari — also defended Vasseur and criticised the media for creating turmoil within the team.
“It’s the same story every time Ferrari doesn’t perform — the media starts pointing fingers and stoking chaos,” said Sainz, who now races for a resurgent Williams.
Despite being dropped from Ferrari’s 2025 lineup, Sainz insisted he held no grudges.
“I have a great relationship with Fred,” he said. “Yes, we went through a difficult time — he didn’t want me and he signed Lewis — but we’ve made peace and moved on.” — AFP
Lewis Hamilton brushed off media speculation about a leadership shakeup at Ferrari. — AFP pic
