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.
SPIELBERG, June 27 — McLaren teammates Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris are free to continue racing each other hard despite their recent collision at the Canadian Grand Prix, Piastri confirmed on Thursday.
Speaking ahead of this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix, the 24-year-old Australian—who currently leads the world championship—said the two had resolved the issue and would keep pushing each other under McLaren’s so-called ‘papaya rules’.
“Obviously, what happened in Canada wasn’t ideal,” Piastri admitted during a media session. “But we’re still free to race, both of us are in the title fight, so we’ll continue racing—just making sure we avoid contact going forward.”
He noted that they addressed the incident openly before returning to the team in Montreal.
“Lando apologised and took responsibility, so everything’s fine now. I’m looking forward to racing again,” Piastri said.
He backed McLaren’s stance of allowing teammates to race, as long as it’s done with respect and awareness.
“I think it's the right approach when you have two drivers in championship contention,” he said. “It’s not easy to manage, but it’s a good challenge to have. The key is to keep things fair—strategy, pit stops, all of it—as much as possible.
“And of course, rule number one, written or not, is: don’t crash into your teammate. That’s the main thing.”
Piastri leads the championship going into Sunday’s 11th round of the 24-race season, holding a 22-point lead over Norris and a further 24 points ahead of Red Bull’s four-time champion Max Verstappen.
Despite his lead, Piastri said it was too early to consider team orders in his favour.
“I just want a fair shot. We’re both aiming for the title, and only one of us can win it,” he said. “Unless things change dramatically, there’s no need to have those conversations. That’s still a long way off. Right now, all I ask for is a level playing field.”
The pair’s clash in Canada occurred as they battled for fourth place. Norris misjudged a move and collided with Piastri, forcing himself to retire, while Piastri recovered to finish fourth.
Norris, who also collided with Verstappen in last year’s Austrian Grand Prix, will be looking for a clean and confidence-restoring weekend in Spielberg. — AFP
