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.
MYT SUZUKA, March 25 — Max Verstappen says the Japanese Grand Prix is one of his favourite races, but his bid for a fifth consecutive victory this weekend looks increasingly unlikely as Red Bull struggles under Formula One’s sweeping new regulations.
Mercedes drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli enter Suzuka carrying the momentum from their strong start to the season, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton as their closest rivals.
Red Bull and Verstappen are scrambling to recover after a difficult opening to the 2026 season, as are McLaren, whose drivers — world champion Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri — both faced technical issues in China, preventing them from starting.
Verstappen, a four-time world champion, finished sixth in Australia following a qualifying crash, then managed only ninth in the Shanghai sprint before retiring from the main race due to a cooling issue.
The Dutch driver has been critical of the 2026 regulations and new car designs, calling them “anti-racing” and comparing their electrical boost and overtake modes to the Mario Kart video game.
Seeking a change of scenery, Verstappen competed in a four-hour race in Germany last weekend, but was disqualified despite crossing the finish line first.
Verstappen has won every Japanese Grand Prix for the past four years and secured his second world title there in 2022, but his recent problems suggest his Suzuka dominance could end on Sunday.
“Getting on top of our problems is not easy,” Verstappen said in Shanghai. “It would help if we would just have a normal start — I’ve been dropping to last every time.”
Antonelli Breakthrough
Verstappen’s difficulties contrast sharply with Mercedes’ strong start, which included one-two finishes in both opening grands prix. Championship leader Russell won in Australia, while 19-year-old Antonelli claimed his first career victory in China.
Russell also took the chequered flag in the Shanghai sprint, and Mercedes will aim for a Suzuka triumph for the first time since Valtteri Bottas won in 2019.
Antonelli, who became the youngest pole-sitter in Formula One history and the second-youngest race winner after Verstappen, received a hero’s welcome in his hometown of Bologna, Italy. “It’s the kind of result that gives you strength and awareness of what you can do,” he said.
McLaren have struggled under the new regulations, which require careful battery management and energy harvesting with a 50-50 split between conventional and electrical power. Defending champion Norris, who described his car as one that “sucks,” trails Russell by 36 points, while Piastri has yet to race this season after crashing on the way to the grid in Melbourne.
“We just have to take it on the chin, learn from the problem, and make sure it never happens again,” Norris said in Shanghai. “All of us want to race and score points.”
Teams will have time to regroup after Suzuka, with a five-week gap until the Miami Grand Prix due to the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia races because of the war in the Middle East. — AFP
