Max Verstappen and Lando Norris have hit out at the "stupid" track limits penalties dished out at the Austrian Grand Prix last weekend, while George Russell has suggested F1 should revert to a single race director.

The sport has strict rules this season regarding exceeding the borders of the circuit, with 43 offences notched for crossing the white line during Sunday's race, won by Ferrari's Charles Leclerc.

Red Bull racer and incumbent world champion Verstappen came home second while Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton was third, but the former admitted that events felt somewhat overshadowed by the stringent enforcement.

"I think the track limits debate this weekend has been a bit of a joke," Verstappen told Sky Sports F1.

"I don't think we should have this value on one millimetre over, that's a penalty or whatever. Then just add a wall or put some gravel back. I think that's great because there is gravel, you punish yourself if you go wide.

"These kind of things, I think it just doesn't look good for the sport."

McLaren's Norris, who was hit with a five-second penalty for repeat abuse, was also frustrated by the rules, adding: "You can't see the white lines. It's just guessing and I'm obviously not good enough at guessing.

"But I got a warning from Turn 1, and it was just a complete mistake. I lost time, so when you look at it that way, I can say it's a bit stupid. This was just me making mistakes. So I don't feel like I should be punished for it."

Hamilton's Mercedes team-mate Russell meanwhile questioned whether the application of the rules was down to F1's revolving cast of race directors this season.

The sport has utilised multiple directors after Michael Masi's infamous handling of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the end of last season, which ultimately helped hand Verstappen the world title at Hamilton's expense.

"We don't want to be dishing out penalties left, right and centre but there needs to be an element of consistency somewhere and I think we need to look at the root cause of the issues," Russell added.

"I do agree that we need to stick to one race director. We need to have a bit more consistency with the stewarding.

"We come to the following event and often the steward in the previous event is not there. There's no accountability, no explanations of decisions. It is tricky. Everybody's got their own interpretations."

Tiger Woods and U.S. Open champion Matthew Fitzpatrick will feature in a headline threesome in the opening two rounds at the 150th Open Championship.

In what could be his last Open at St Andrews, where two of his three Claret Jug triumphs have come, Woods will tee it up alongside Fitzpatrick, fresh from his maiden major triumph at Brookline.

The pair will be joined by Max Homa and head out at 14:59 BST (local time), long after Scotland's Paul Lawrie has had the honour of hitting the opening tee shot at 06:35.

Reigning champion Collin Morikawa is in another group sure to draw a big following, with four-time major winner Rory McIlroy and the in-form Xander Schauffele for company.

World number one Scottie Scheffler goes out at 13:26 alongside Joaquin Niemann and Tyrrell Hatton, while Jon Rahm is also an afternoon starter in a group that includes 2017 Champion Golfer of the Year Jordan Spieth.

Conditions appear favourable on the Fife coast, with the fairways firm and receptive greens, although wind speeds may cause some problems at various points across the four days of competition. 

Rodri was hailed as "a manager's dream" as Pep Guardiola's midfield lynchpin signed a three-year contract extension at Manchester City.

The Spain international has been hugely influential in his deep-lying role and hit a crucial goal on the final day of the last Premier League season, as City pinched the title with a 3-2 comeback win over Aston Villa.

Although he had two years to run on his previous deal, City have moved to banish any doubts about Rodri's future by tying the 26-year-old to a deal that runs until the end of the 2026-27 season.

Rodri has racked up 151 games for City and twice been a Premier League and EFL Cup winner under Guardiola.

He said: "Joining City in 2019 is the best decision I have made in my career. I have loved every second. I feel totally supported by the club and the manager pushes me every single day.

"I have improved so much as a player, and I want to thank Pep and all the backroom staff for their help. They are completely committed to helping me become the best player I can be, and I appreciate their hard work.

"We have been very successful since I came here, which is something that makes me very proud. But to be honest, that success has made me even more hungry for me. Once you start winning big titles, you don't want to stop.

"City, I feel, offers me the best chance of winning trophies and that's why I am so pleased to be staying here for longer."

The Champions League will be a key target for City in the new campaign, after their elimination at the hands of eventual winners Real Madrid in last season's semi-finals.

Across the 2021-22 Premier League campaign, Rodri ranked first among all midfielders for successful passes (2,629), recoveries (292) and aerial win rate (72 per cent), Opta data showed.

He had an overall passing accuracy of 91.76 per cent in the competition, with an accuracy of 90.36 per cent in the opposition half ranking as the best rate among all midfielders with at least 15 appearances.

He also scored four goals across the final six games of the season, almost out of character given he is usually a player mopping up and allowing City's more attacking midfielders to raid forward.

Director of Football Txiki Begiristain told City's website that Rodri had been an "exceptional" performer, saying the club were "delighted" to get the extension over the line.

"He is the perfect example of what a top professional should be: he has a fantastic attitude, lives his life in the right way, takes care of his body and trains hard every single day. That is a manager's dream," said Begiristain, "and I know Pep loves working with him."

Jordan Henderson is excited by Darwin Nunez, who he feels brings "a new dimension" to Liverpool ahead of a likely debut against Manchester United.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has confirmed Nunez and fellow new signing Fabio Carvalho are to be included in his squad to face United in Bangkok on Tuesday, as the Reds open their pre-season campaign.

Uruguay international forward Nunez was a high-profile arrival from Benfica in a deal that could reach a club-record £85million. He came in this off-season, with Sadio Mane leaving for Bayern Munich.

Nunez played against Liverpool in the Champions League last season and captain Henderson has already seen enough to believe the striker will make a big impact.

"Darwin performed well and scored in both games," Henderson said ahead of the United clash.

"That is probably a big reason why we signed him, but also the recruitment staff will have watched him in plenty of other games and will have seen a lot of quality. 

"Hopefully, he can settle in and hit the ground running. He is a new option, a new dimension for us with the way we play. We have got to adapt to that quickly and get used to it.

"Darwin certainly gives us a different option in the way he plays and is hopefully a huge player for us going forward. He can score goals, the staff will have seen a lot of quality and seen a very good player. 

"He is settling in really well. Don't get me wrong, it was his first proper session on Monday really, so [he] is still quite new into the group.

"But this group has shown in the past that it is easy to settle in quickly, he can already speak with some of the lads who speak Portuguese, but hopefully he can pick up English quickly.

"For us hopefully he can settle in and hit the ground running. Things move on, change, and hopefully we can adapt to that quickly."

Henderson was sad to see Mane depart but believes the attacking unit is still in strong shape, with Luis Diaz having impressed since joining from Porto in January.

The midfielder added: "Sadio would be a big miss for anybody, he is a world-class player, for me one of the best forwards in the world, so it's always going to be difficult losing him.

"We are sad to see him leave, but we wish him all the best. But you look at the forward line and it's still very, very strong. 

"We have brought new players in, but we also have world-class players who performed last season. Luis Diaz has come in and performed phenomenally well.

"Bobby [Roberto Firmino] coming back is a big bonus for us, he was injured for a large part of last season. We have plenty of options for sure."

With the new season fast approaching – Liverpool open their competitive campaign against Manchester City in the Community Shield on July 30 – Henderson does not believe the title race will again be between only those two teams.

"I never think it will be just us and City," he said. "Other teams strengthen.

"You look at Chelsea, they are strengthening, United will strengthen, Spurs will strengthen – they have done so quite a lot so far. 

"You look at other teams who are also going to strengthen.

"Yes, we have bought some new players and hopefully they can help us going forward and freshen things up, but we have to keep doing what we have been doing for a large period of time."

Rory McIlroy described winning The Open Championship at St Andrews as "the holy grail" of golf.

The 150th edition of the sport's oldest major is taking place at the home of golf this week, with McIlroy eyeing a second Claret Jug after his triumph in 2014.

McIlroy was unable to defend his title the following year – the last time it was staged at the Old Course – after suffering a knee injury while playing football.

And the Northern Irishman acknowledged that winning this landmark event at the most famous course in the world would represent an extra special achievement.

On Monday, Jack Nicklaus recalled Bobby Jones' remark that "a golfer's resume is not complete unless he's won at St Andrews", a notion that was put to McIlroy, who replied: "I don't know if a golfer's career isn't complete if you don't, but I think it's the holy grail of our sport.

"Not a lot of people are going to get that opportunity to achieve that, but that's what winning an Open at St Andrews is. It's one of the highest achievements that you can have in golf.

"There's a lot of great players that have won Opens and maybe not won Opens at St Andrews, so I think it's unfair to say that a golfer's career isn't complete without that.

"But it's certainly up there with one of the greatest things you can do in our game."

McIlroy still just needs a Masters win to complete the sweep of golf's majors and was asked if a green jacket was at this stage more desirable than prevailing at St Andrews, but he was quick to point out it did not have to be one or the other.

"I guess it's both," he said. "Obviously I'd love to win both. And I'll be greedy and say that I'll take both."

Jordan Henderson believes Liverpool are well-equipped to avoid a hangover from their Premier League and Champions League disappointments at the end of last season.

Liverpool lost out to Manchester City on the last day in their bid for top-flight glory, while Real Madrid beat them 1-0 in the Champions League final in Paris to earn continental glory.

The Reds did triumph in the FA Cup and EFL Cup, with captain Henderson confident there will be no adverse effects from missing out on the biggest two trophies that were up for grabs in their quadruple pursuit.

"There's no need for that," he said. "We have had disappointments in the past and didn't have hangovers, so we have always reacted in the right way. 

"We still won two trophies last year so it's not all negative – there were still positives to take out of it.

"It was a fantastic season. Yes, it didn't end the way we would have liked, but that’s football, that's life, you get on with it and react in the right way and we just want to go again, to perform." 

Henderson added: "I wouldn't say it [the disappointment] has made us more motivated, but you are always motivated to win the biggest trophies.

"That is why we play. We want to be successful; we want to win things and we managed to win two last year.

"It didn't end the way we would like, but we pushed all the way and that is all you can ask for, so you move on, you take the positives, improve on the things we can and try and perform in every game we play. 

"We have done that for a long period of time and now we just have to keep going, keep pushing."

Henderson was speaking in Bangkok before Liverpool get their pre-season campaign under way against rivals Manchester United on Tuesday.

"We are constantly working to improve; we can't worry about other people [teams] around us – that's not in your control," added the England international. 

"This is a good moment for us in pre-season to get everyone back to work so that when the season comes, we're at a good base level of fitness and ready to go."

Liverpool face City in the Community Shield on July 30 before opening their Premier League campaign for the 2022-23 season against newly promoted Fulham on August 6.

Per Mertesacker believes the signing of Gabriel Jesus is a statement of intent from Arsenal as the Gunners aim to return to the Champions League.

Jesus signed for Arsenal earlier in July, joining from Premier League champions Manchester City in a deal reportedly worth £45million.

With Erling Haaland's arrival at City, Jesus was deemed surplus to requirements and will instead lead the Gunners' attacking line as Mikel Arteta's team look to improve on last season's fifth-place finish.

Jesus has not been the only new arrival, with midfielder Fabio Vieira, winger Marquinhos and goalkeeper Matt Turner also joining.

Mertesacker, who manages Arsenal's academy, believes the club's transfer business has shown how determined they are to qualify for Europe's elite club competition.

He spoke to Sky Sports about the deal for Jesus, who scored twice in a 5-3 friendly win over Nurnberg on Friday.

"The way that we could convince him to come fairly early in the transfer window, not waiting too long, I think that we are proactive," Mertesacker said. "We are making our points clear to the players’ families and agents. We have got the right arguments and players are willing to come to us and bring us back to the Champions League and where we belong."

Two players returning to Arsenal's squad after spending parts of last season out on loan are Reiss Nelson and Ainsley Maitland-Niles.

Nelson helped Feyenoord reach the final of the Europa Conference League, where they lost to Roma, the Italian club where Maitland-Niles spent the back half of the campaign.

"To see them in the leagues of Europe, they went to Holland and Italy. Fantastic experience for them, hopefully they'll benefit from it," said Mertesacker of the returning loanees.

"Whether that's here with us or whether they need to go somewhere else, that's obviously the decision of [technical director] Edu and Mikel."

Zach LaVine is targeting an NBA championship with the Chicago Bulls after the All-Star guard sealed his five-year contract extension with the team.

Not since the Michael Jordan-led glory years of the 1990s have the Bulls reigned above the rest in the NBA.

Their six championships in that decade account for all the NBA titles that the Bulls have won, and there have been lean times since then.

They halted a run of four seasons without a playoffs appearance by making it to the postseason in 2021-22, only to fall in the first round to the Milwaukee Bucks.

LaVine has agreed to a five-season, $215.2million maximum extension, and the former Minnesota Timberwolves man has high hopes for what may lie ahead.

He said: "Individually, I'm wanting to keep pushing myself to reach higher and higher things. If it isn't All-NBAs, if it isn't MVPs, team-wise, it's win a championship.

"I think there's nothing above that. You've heard me say individual things come with winning, and the better and better we get as a team, and I keep pushing myself to get better as a player, those things can match up."

Acquired from Minnesota in 2017 as part of a draft-day trade that sent six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler to the Timberwolves, LaVine has emerged as one of the NBA's most consistent scorers during his time in Chicago.

The 27-year-old joined the legendary Jordan as the only players in franchise history to average 23 or more points per game in four consecutive seasons after averaging 24.4 per game in 2021-22.

LaVine also shot 38.9 per cent from three-point range and 85.3 per cent from the free-throw line this past season to earn his second straight All-Star nod and help the Bulls reach the playoffs for the first time since 2016-17.

The Bulls are retaining a core that also includes 2021-22 All-Star DeMar DeRozan, center Nikola Vucevic and playmaking point guard Lonzo Ball. That group led Chicago to a 46-36 finish last season, their most victories since 2014-15, and a sixth seed in the Eastern Conference.

Speaking about his max contract, LaVine said: "There's no extra added pressure. It's just who I am, and what goals and what things I want to reach, and how much better can we get as a team."

He added: "Chicago is my home. We've built something over the last two, three [years]. Being able to come back as a cornerstone piece and allowing them to get some of my insights, some of my input in constructing the roster to help me and help us win, was really big for me."

LaVine said there was "no other reason for me to go outside and look at any other teams", suggesting that would have been "disrespectful on my end because they gave me everything that I asked for".

He said he still gave plenty of thought to what he wanted.

"But my heart was in Chicago," LaVine said.

After undergoing knee surgery in May, LaVine is optimistic he will be in prime shape for next season.

"I feel way better. I've been rehabbing, working out, playing, lifting, doing all the good stuff and boring stuff, too," he said. "I feel really good, and over the next two months, getting back into the season, I feel like I'm gonna be even better."

Value in the transfer market is always hard to gauge, but that feels especially true in the Premier League in this window.

Sadio Mane has left Liverpool for £35million, and Raheem Sterling is on his way out of Manchester City for £45m. Meanwhile, Southampton have reportedly asked for £75m for midfielder James Ward-Prowse.

That comparison is perhaps not fair on Ward-Prowse – Saints' most important figure – but it illustrates how erratic these fees can be.

It is slightly tricky then to establish who might be the most valuable Premier League player, yet why not have a go?

Inspired by Bill Simmons' NBA trade value list for The Ringer, ranking the 64 most valuable basketball stars, Stats Perform has put together an equivalent Premier League top 20.

Of course, there are key differences between how the markets work in the NBA and the Premier League, so a brief explainer is required before complaints come from fans of one or two clubs...

This is not a ranking of the 20 best Premier League players but rather the 20 most valuable – or 20 most difficult to sign.

The following factors have all been considered: how important these players are to their clubs, how replaceable they are, how proven they are, how likely they are to be sold now or in the near future, and how much they would cost if they were to move, influenced by ages and contract situations.

So, let's dive in...

1. Trent Alexander-Arnold – Liverpool

Alexander-Arnold is Liverpool's chief creator from right-back, unique in his passing ability and set-piece quality. The Reds will have an extremely tough time when they come to replace the England man; fortunately, that will not be any time soon, with the Anfield favourite a local boy, a Liverpool fan and under contract until 2025.

2. Phil Foden – Manchester City

Although perhaps still not quite the main man at Etihad Stadium, Foden is City's answer to Alexander-Arnold. Having waited so long to bring an elite talent through their academy, the champions will be in no rush to sell him – especially as Pep Guardiola is such a big fan.

3. Erling Haaland – Manchester City

If Alexander-Arnold and Foden are completely unattainable for rival clubs, there remains a possibility Haaland's stay at City could last only a few seasons, as Real Madrid and Barcelona are likely to again be interested soon enough. But City could command a huge fee for one of the most sought-after strikers in European football.

4. Kevin De Bruyne – Manchester City

It is perhaps no surprise City feature so prominently in this list, although there is a balance to consider. Their financial might means there is little motive to move on a star name, but they are also well placed to sign a replacement. Even at 31, there is nobody who could feasibly replace De Bruyne.

5. Virgil van Dijk – Liverpool

Replacing Van Dijk is a similarly tough ask. Liverpool are not afraid to cash in if it benefits the team, but it is difficult to imagine how losing their highly influential centre-back – undoubtedly the best in the Premier League – could ever be beneficial.

6. Mohamed Salah – Liverpool

Having seen Mane depart, Salah likely would not even have featured on this list had he not agreed a new contract. Now, though, both he and Liverpool are committed to one another for three more years. In the immediate future, Salah remains the Reds' leading man in attack.

7. Bruno Fernandes – Manchester United

It says a lot for the state of the United squad that Fernandes is the only Red Devil to be included. Cristiano Ronaldo is old, on a short-term contract and wants to leave, while Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford endured tough seasons. Fernandes ultimately did, too, but his quality is proven, and he will hope for an improved campaign under Erik ten Hag.

8. Son Heung-min – Tottenham

Spurs have a little more security now with Champions League football assured, surely able to keep Son happy – not that the outstanding forward ever appears too downcast. Son is now 30 but shows little sign of slowing after the best goalscoring season of his career.

9. Harry Kane – Tottenham

Son is just ahead of his strike partner on account of Kane pushing for a move last year. That was an unsuccessful bid, though, and City moved on with Haaland. Kane could perhaps be a candidate to replace Ronaldo, but again Tottenham have Champions League football while United do not.

10. Ederson – Manchester City

A move away from the division's elite attacking stars: Ederson simply could not be better suited for City's style of play, an outstanding goalkeeper with the passing range to fit into their midfield. A rival club surely would not even try to prise Ederson away.

11. Alisson – Liverpool

Liverpool do not rely on Alisson's ability with his feet in quite the same fashion, but there is very little between he and Ederson. Still just 29, the Brazil number one will keep his place between the posts at Anfield for the foreseeable future.

12. Reece James – Chelsea

The first Chelsea player on the list is James, who matches Alexander-Arnold for talent but might be seen as a more attainable transfer target for now. With the Blues still in the early stages of their new ownership, it is tough to tell exactly where they fit into the Premier League's hierarchy.

13. Mason Mount – Chelsea

As above, Chelsea would not have wanted to sell Mount under the previous regime and likely will stand firm again, but keeping players of his ilk relies on the club remaining as successful as they have been over the past 20 years.

14. Bukayo Saka – Arsenal

This Arsenal team is packed with young, hungry, talented players, few of whom their fans would like to see depart. But the Gunners have also long since been positioned as sellers to the elite clubs. Saka, the best of the bunch, could attract attention soon enough.

15. Bruno Guimaraes – Newcastle United

As with Chelsea, there is an element of the unknown around Newcastle. With big money and big ambitions, they could eventually join City in having the wealth and status to keep just about any player. Guimaraes – outstanding after talking up a Champions League title bid while still in the relegation zone – looks to be in for the long haul.

16. Declan Rice – West Ham

Rice might have more suitors than Guimaraes right now, but he might also be a more straightforward buy. Although David Moyes suggested £150m would be "the minimum" required to recruit Rice, a player of his talents will want to play in the Champions League – and the Hammers look to have missed their chance.

17. Darwin Nunez – Liverpool

Nunez could jump into the top three in a year's time, yet he still has only two seasons with Benfica on his CV and so will have to continue to prove his class in one of Europe's big five leagues before being ranked alongside Haaland.

18. Kai Havertz – Chelsea

Chelsea are already again having to rebuild the rest of their front line this year, so the future of Havertz appears secure. Despite netting the winning goal in the Champions League final a year ago, it feels like there is still more to come from the forward.

19. Ruben Dias – Manchester City

Besides those listed above, so many of City's outstanding players would be relatively easy to replace given their transfer budget and the pull of working with Guardiola. But the club have consistently lost leaders in recent seasons, so Dias is a key man for the coming years.

20. Cristian Romero – Tottenham

As long as Spurs are trying to keep Antonio Conte happy – and their business so far in this window suggests that is the case – Romero is unlikely to be going anywhere. The centre-back was superb after arriving at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in January.