27/03/2026

SPORTS FRIDAY | MAR 27, 2026

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Merc close in on hattrick Silver Arrows aim to match past dominance as Russell strengthens his title claim F ORMULA ONE leaders Mercedes go into Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix chas ing a season-opening hat Australia and the Saturday sprint in China, leads his Chinese Grand Prix-winning teammate by four points. Mercedes last kicked off with a been second-best to Mercedes in the opening two races, will hope to rise to the challenge. Charles Leclerc and Lewis

FORMULA ONE world champion Lando Norris said yesterday he was confident he could still get into title contention after a disastrous start to the season, start ing this week in Japan. The McLaren driver is 36 points behind champion ship leader George Russell of Mercedes after two grands prix and arrives in Suzuka after an embarrassing non-start in China. Norris and McLaren have struggled to get to grips with sweeping new regulations, but he said the car had “a lot of potential” as he targets a positive result in Japan. “What we are thinking of is getting on the podium first of all and then returning to winning races,” said the Briton. The points then take care of themselves and we’ll see what we can claw back, and we’re confident in that. “I have a good belief in the team and I think we can have the best car this year,” he added. Norris finished fifth in the season-opener in Australia and fourth in the sprint in China, but did not even make the grid for the grand prix in Shanghai. Teammate Oscar Piastri also did not start as both cars suffered separate technical issues. Norris eyes comeback at Suzuka

“Heading into Suzuka, this is one of my favourite tracks to race at with lots of high-speed corners,” said Verstappen. “There is a lot of history at this circuit for the team and it is one I always look forward to coming back to.” McLaren will be hoping for a strong showing after reigning champion Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were unable to start in China. Australian Piastri will be espe cially keen to get a full race dis tance under his belt, having only completed the China sprint so far after also crashing out on a recon naissance lap ahead of his home race in Melbourne. Haas could provide some cheer for the Japanese fans. The US-owned team have Toyota’s motorsports division as their title sponsors and are led by Japanese team principal Ayao Komatsu. The team, running a special Godzilla-themed livery from this weekend, are an impressive fourth in the constructors’ standings with the team’s British racer Oliver Bearman fifth in the drivers’ battle. The Japanese Grand Prix will be the last race until the Miami Grand Prix on May 3 with April’s Bahrain and Saudi Arabian rounds cancelled due to the ongoing con flict in the Middle East. – Reuters

Hamilton, thanks to their fast starts and intra-team duels, have served up plenty of wheel-to wheel entertainment. Seven-time world champion Hamilton, in particular, has shown plenty of fight and ended his podium drought in China with a third-place finish. A four-time Suzuka winner, the Briton will be hoping that run continues. Circuit owners Honda will be hoping for a happier homecoming as power unit suppliers to Aston Martin after a dismal start to their year. Neither Fernando Alonso nor Lance Stroll have finished the opening two races, with vibrations from the Japanese manufacturer’s power unit severely limiting run ning. Just getting to the chequered flag would be big progress for the Japanese manufacturer that pow ered Max Verstappen to four suc cessive wins on the circuit from 2022 to 2025 when they were part ners to Red Bull. The four-time world cham pion, who now has a Ford-badged Red Bull power unit in his car, will also be looking to bounce back after retiring in China.

trick of one-two wins, with Kimi Antonelli fired up after a maiden victory and George Russell seek ing to cement his status as title favourite. The pair have won one Sunday race each but

hat-trick of wins in 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic-hit season in which Austria’s Red Bull Ring hosted the first two races. The last time they started with three one-two finishes was in 2019. Having made a similarly domi nant start to the sport’s new era this season, including locking out the front row in every qualifying session, they could tick off both milestones on Sunday. “We have made a positive start to the season but it is only that,” said Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff. “We know that the moment you think you’ve got this sport figured out, you are usually proven wrong.” Despite Wolff’s cau

Russell, win ner of the sea son-opener i n

Norris said McLaren now understood what the problems were but admitted that the double failure “hurt us as a team”. “What hurt most was the fact it was out of our control,” he said. “But we’ve worked hard to figure things out, to understand how it hap pened, why it happened, and of course we’ll do everything we can to make sure it doesn’t happen again.” – AFP

tion, either Russell or Antonelli should be cele brating a first win at Suzuka, a 5.8km figure of-eight layout widely hailed as a drivers’ track that hosts the 40th running of the Japanese round. Ferrari, who last

Notices

322

IN THE HIGH COURT AT MALACCA IN THE STATE OF MALACCA, MALAYSIA COMPANIES (WINDING-UP) NO.: MA-28NCC-7-01/2026 In the Matter of Section 465(1)(e) and 466(1)(a) of the Companies Act 2016

won at Suzuka in 2004 and have

And

Hamilton not slowing down at 41

In the matter of Kurnia Engineering & Construction Sdn. Bhd. (Company No.: 1455990-P)

A REJUVENATED Lewis Hamilton said yes terday that he was more committed to Formula One “than ever” aged 41 and believes he trains harder than any other driver. The seven-time world champion has made a strong start to the season with Ferrari and is fourth in the championship after two races, 18 points behind leader George Russell of Mercedes. Hamilton finished third in China to claim a podium place for the first time since joining Ferrari ahead of the 2025 season, and he said he had been putting in the hard yards ahead of this week’s Japanese Grand Prix. “I was in Tokyo between this race and the last race, I’ve run like 100 kilometres,” the Briton said. “I know that none of the drivers I’m racing against have trained as hard as I am and giving it what I am, especially at my age. “I love that, that I still have that drive to push myself,” he added. Hamilton boasted that he was returning to

his hotel after a morning run just as other driv ers were getting up. “The commitment is there, more than ever,” he said. “I dedicate absolutely everything I have to this challenge.” Hamilton endured a nightmare first season with Ferrari last year, finishing sixth in the cham pionship and suffering the indignity of becom ing the first driver to be eliminated from Q1 at three consecutive grands prix. His fortunes have changed markedly with new regulations and car designs this season, which have produced noticeably more overtak ing in races than in recent years. Hamilton got the better of teammate Charles Leclerc after a titanic tussle in Shanghai and he said he found battling drivers “much more fun”. “That’s how racing should be,” he said. “It should be back and forth, it shouldn’t be one move is done and then that’s it.” – AFP

BETWEEN

MUAR CATHAY INDUSTRIES SDN. BHD. (COMPANY NO. 465954-V) … PETITIONER

AND

KURNIA

ENGINEERING

&

CONSTRUCTION SDN. BHD. (COMPANY NO. 1455990-P)

… RESPONDENT

ADVERTISEMENT OF PETITION

NOTICE is hereby given that a Petition for the Winding-Up of the above named by the High Court was on the 29.1.2026 presented by Muar Cathay Industries Sdn Bhd (Company No. 465954-V) whose address at Pos 764, Parit Bakar Darat, Jalan Sri Tanjong, 84200 Muar, Johor and that the said Petition is directed to be heard before the Court sitting at High Court Malacca on 29.4.2026 at 9.00 a.m. and any Creditors or Contributories of the said company desiring to support or oppose the making of an Order on the said Petition may appear at the time of hearing by itself or its Counsel for that purpose; and a copy of the Petition will be furnished to any Creditors or Contributories of the said company requiring the same by the undersigned on payment of the regulated charges for the same. The Petitioner’s Solicitors is Messrs Ang Chambers whose address is at No. 01-03,Jalan Bukit Impian 18/5, Taman Impian Emas,81300 Skudai, Johor Bahru. NOTE- Any person who intends to appear on the hearing of the said Petition must serve on or send by post to the above named Messrs Ang Chambers notice in writing of his intention so to do. The notice must state the name and address of the person,or if a firm,the name and address of the firm, and must be signed by the person or firm,or his or their solicitor (if any) and must be served or if posted must be sent by post in sufficient to reach the above named not later than twelve o’clock of 28.4.2026. Dated this 25.3.2026 t.t Signed Petitioner’s Solicitors

FIA tweaks energy use for Japan qualifying FORMULA ONE’S governing body yesterday said it is tweaking its energy management rules for Japanese Grand Prix qualifying to allow drivers to push harder. The maximum energy teams will intended balance between energy deployment and driver performance is maintained,” the statement said. Formula One has introduced sweep

some of the thrill away from the usually flat-out qualifying laps by turning them into a test of battery management rather than driver skill and courage. The tweak to the rules means drivers will be able to push more and focus less on recovering energy. “This adjustment reflects feedback from drivers and teams, who have emphasised the importance of main taining qualifying as a performance challenge,” said the FIA statement. There are further discussions around the new rules scheduled in the coming weeks, it said. – Reuters

Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton arrives at the paddock on a scooter during the Chinese Grand Prix at Shanghai International Circuit

ing new rules this year, with the hybrid power units in the cars now split near 50 50 between electric and combustion power. That has led to drivers having to tac tically “lift and coast” on the power unit as the combustion engine recharges the battery. The new rules have spiced up the wheel-to-wheel action in the first two races. Critics, though, have said it has taken

be allowed to draw from their hybrid power units during tomorrow’s grid deciding session will be reduced to 8 megajoules (MJ) from 9 MJ, the International Automobile Federation (FIA) said in a statement. The change, agreed following unani mous support of the sport’s power unit manufacturers, will “ensure that the

on March 12. – R EUTE R S PIC