Real Madrid remains the "dreamland" for any footballer, according to Manchester City striker Erling Haaland's agent Rafaela Pimenta.

Haaland has scored an incredible 33 goals for City this term – four more than any other player across Europe's top five leagues – and has set a number of records along the way.

Despite being in the first season of a five-year deal at the Etihad Stadium, the Norway international continues to be linked with a move to LaLiga heavyweights Real Madrid.

City manager Pep Guardiola previously denied reports that Haaland has a release clause in his contract that will allow him to join Madrid at the end of next season.

But Haaland's agent did little to quash talk of a future switch to the Spanish capital when asked about the 22-year-old's future at the FT Business of Football Summit in London.

"There is the Premier League, and there is Real Madrid. Real Madrid has something of its own that makes it the dreamland for the players," Pimenta said. 

"Madrid keeps this magic going. They don't have the league competition every week, but they do have the Champions League.”

Haaland has previously said the attractiveness of playing under Guardiola at a club where father Alf-Inge once played was too much to turn down.

However, Pimenta suggested the former Borussia Dortmund star already knows which club he will join next.

"We have to make a plan, we need to have a goal," she said. "Maybe we won't achieve it, but if we don't know where we're going, then for sure we don't get there.

"We make plans, yes, we make plans even if they are a 15-year-old. We cannot be sitting down and waiting."

Haaland is one of a number of high-profile clients represented by Pimenta, along with the likes of Paul Pogba, Matthijs de Ligt, Marco Verratti and Ryan Gravenberch.

All of those players have either played in or been strongly linked with a move to the Premier League, which Pimenta feels is still the elite division in world football.

"When I started in this business, if I told [a player], 'you're moving to England', they would ask me, 'what did I do wrong?'," she said.

"Now when we talk to players, and ask them what is their goal, they say the Premier League. They don't say a team, City, Chelsea, Arsenal, they say 'the Premier League'.

"This is the first time in 25 years that I hear so many players say I want to go to a league, not to a club. This is the place to be for an agent.

"An agent needs to be where a player wants to be. It's a fantastic league. It's so competitive, every game is a challenge, everyone wants to watch it."

Patrick Kane described making his debut for the New York Rangers as "pretty cool" but saw considerable room for improvement after a 5-3 loss to the Ottawa Senators.

Kane's trade this week from the Blackhawks marked the end of an era, with his 16-season stint in Chicago having included three Stanley Cup triumphs.

The first overall pick in the 2007 draft has still been performing at a high level in this campaign, ranking second at Chicago this season in goals (16) and points (45).

He has left a team at the foot of the Central Division for the Rangers, who sit third in the Metropolitan Division, and Kane received a warm welcome at Madison Square Garden.

"It was awesome. The crowd and coming out for warm-ups and the pre-game introduction, just the first game as a Ranger, it was a pretty cool experience," Kane said.

"Obviously I would have liked to play a little bit better and come out with a win, but hopefully it will come.

"I haven't played in a little bit, so I'm maybe a little bit rusty, but excited to get feeling good with this team.

"I'm excited to be here and excited to get better and play better for my teammates."

It was his first game since February 22, with Kane unable to prevent the Rangers (35-18-9) sliding to a loss to the Senators (31-26-4).

Rangers coach Gerard Gallant, quoted on the NHL website, said: "There was some good and there was a lot of bad, but there was some real good stuff too.

"They were good five-on-five for the most part, but I thought the power play hurt us, just trying to be too pretty and too many passes. Bottom line is you have to put the puck in the net, and we didn't do that."

Kane is hoping for better against the Boston Bruins on Saturday and over coming games as he begins to find his way.

"It'll be nice to settle in, get a couple of practices and kind of understand the way they want to play systematically, with the puck, offensive zone, things like that," he said. "They haven't given me too much yet, just telling me to go out there and play."

Boston Bruins coach Jim Montgomery has learned to normalise the success of his team this season, even as they made NHL history on Thursday.

In beating the Buffalo Sabres 7-1, the Bruins improved to 48-8-5 and 101 points for the year.

The Bruins passed 100 points in their 61st game, beating the previous record set by the 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens, who reached that mark in 62 games.

But Montgomery was relatively unmoved by the achievement, having grown used to his brilliant team setting the benchmark over the course of the campaign.

"For me personally, it doesn't mean that much," the Boston coach said. "We try to stay in the moment, and we've been doing that.

"We started off 11-1, and I was like, 'man, that's unreal,' and then you catch yourself and you go back into the moment, and we've probably gone 11-1 every 12 games to have the record we have.

"It's been really amazing to watch them want to be great, because with the schedule and everything, it's really impressive."

The latest win came on an eventful day for the Bruins, who tied David Pastrnak to an eight-year, $90million extension earlier on Thursday.

Pastrnak then had a goal and two assists against the Sabres just hours later.

The Bruins also traded for forward Tyler Bertuzzi from the Detroit Red Wings ahead of Friday's deadline.

Jurgen Klopp has described Manchester United as a "results machine" and backed Liverpool's fierce rivals to compete all the way for the Premier League title.

United travel to Anfield on Sunday unbeaten in 11 matches and having lost only one of their 20 games since the World Cup break, winning 16 of those.

That run of form has propelled the Red Devils within 11 points of leaders Arsenal with a game in hand, while they ended a six-year trophy drought with a 2-0 victory over Newcastle United in the EFL Cup final last Sunday.

Indeed, no Premier League team has won more points than United (23) since the campaign resumed in December, which Klopp believes stands them in good stead to push for the title.

"They have turned into a results machine," Klopp said at Friday's pre-match news conference. "They are squeezing results out with some really good performances.

"They're playing some top football, and if it is not going so well for them they still get results. That's why they are there [in the table]. 

"Everyone knows it: they are fully in a fight to win the league. That's not really important for Sunday because we are there as well when we try to be at our best."

Marcus Rashford's goalscoring form has played a massive part in United's impressive first campaign under Erik ten Hag, particularly since the World Cup.

The England international has scored 10 goals in his past 10 league games, netting in each of his past five appearances, and has 25 goals for the season in all competitions.

Only Ruud van Nistelrooy (three separate runs), Eric Cantona (in April 1996) and Cristiano Ronaldo (in April 2008) have scored in six successive league games for United.

While reluctant to praise any players of Liverpool's biggest foes, Klopp says it is hard not to take some joy from Rashford's upturn in fortunes.

"It's pretty much impossible to be happy about something positive at Manchester United when you are the Liverpool manager, but I am really happy for Rashford," Klopp said.

"He had a very difficult last year where he was not performing on the level that he is able to perform. 

"I knew this would change again but sometimes in life we don't have enough time to change it. Now he is playing incredible. His speed, his technique – it is a mix of everything. 

"How calm he is in front of goal. He scores worldies, he scores the simple ones, he can put his head in. All these kinds of things.

"We have to defend against that collectively. He is not their only world-class player."

With one trophy in the bag, United are still competing for silverware on three further fronts, whereas Liverpool are now effectively just battling for fourth place in the league.

The Reds trail Real Madrid 5-2 ahead of the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie, but Klopp is remaining upbeat heading into some key fixtures.

"I said before last game, this is a week to give the season a proper push. Now we have to make the next steps," he said.

"Nothing is done yet which is good for us. We all know everything is possible in football. We need to use our crowd in home games."

Liverpool are unbeaten in six home league games against United (W3 D3) since a 1-0 loss in January 2016 – their longest run without defeat since a run of nine in the 1970s.

United will be confident of ending that run on Merseyside this weekend, but Klopp insists form will play no part in what remains one of the biggest fixtures in the game.

"They have had a better season so far but thank God it means absolutely nothing on Sunday," Klopp said. 

"We have to show it's still incredibly difficult to play against us. We have to make sure they realise that. I couldn't be less interested in what United are doing, I just respect it.

"It's what I enjoy most. Around these games we put ourselves out of this sometimes not so nice reality and dig into the game. 

"Football is the most important thing for 98 minutes or whatever. I love that. The whole world will watch it. I would watch it if I was not here.

"It's 'the game'. They are playing a much better season than us but that means nothing. It doesn't mean you win the game, it just means you have more points."

Trent Alexander-Arnold knows Marcus Rashford will be "difficult to stop" at Anfield on Sunday but the Liverpool full-back is relishing the challenge of facing in-form Manchester United.

Rashford has been outstanding for the resurgent Red Devils this season, scoring 25 goals in a new era under Erik ten Hag.

United travel to Merseyside on a high from winning the EFL Cup last weekend and coming from behind to reach the FA Cup quarter-finals with a 3-1 victory over West Ham – stretching their unbeaten run to 11 matches.

Rashford has 10 goals in his past 10 Premier League games and could join Ruud van Nistelrooy, Eric Cantona and Cristiano Ronaldo as the only Red Devils players to score in six consecutive top-flight encounters this weekend.

Alexander-Arnold is not surprised to see his England team-mate thriving as he prepares for a blockbuster showdown, with the sixth-placed Reds in need of a win as they strive to snatch a Champions League spot.

He told Sky Sports: "The only thing that's really changed is he's [Rashford] probably scored a lot more recently, but he's the same player, he's always a threat and I'm sure he will be a threat on Sunday.

"It will be a tough game but it's one I'm looking forward to and it will be a good test.

"It's difficult [to stop Rashford]. He's a player who's got a lot of weapons in his arsenal, but I think it's more of a team effort, it won't be just a one-on-one thing.

"They'll have more than just Marcus going forward, it's a team thing and as long as the team wins on Sunday, that's all I'm bothered about."

Goals from Rashford and Jadon Sancho gave third-placed United a 2-1 win over Liverpool at Old Trafford in August, but they have not won at Anfield since Wayne Rooney secured a 1-0 victory back in January 2016.

The surging Denver Nuggets (44-19) host the struggling Memphis Grizzlies (38-23) on Friday in a clash between the top two teams in the Western Conference.

Since the turn of the year, only the 22-5 Milwaukee Bucks have boasted a better record than Denver's 21-7, and the Nuggets have surged to a five-game lead atop the West.

Their closest challengers are the Grizzlies, who have been flailing since starting center Steven Adams suffered a knee injury on January 22, going 7-8 in the 15 games since.

Adams is only averaging 8.6 points per game in his 27 minutes of action, while shooting a league-worst 36.4 per cent from the free-throw line, but his impact on the Grizzlies' success has proven to be immense.

During the first 46 games of the season – prior to Adams' injury – the Grizzlies owned the best defensive rating in the NBA, while also boasting the second-best rebounding rate, and a top-10 offense.

Since then, Memphis have held up surprisingly well defensively and have been fourth in defense over the past 15 games, but their offense has cratered – becoming the 24th-ranked unit – and their ability to rebound has fallen off a cliff.

Adams leads the team at 11.5 rebounds per game, but his value goes far beyond just the rebounds he hauls down himself, as he is almost universally considered the physically strongest player in the league, and he uses that to wreak havoc on the offensive boards.

The Grizzlies have been 27th in rebounding rate since his injury, falling from the second-best offensive rebounding team to 18th in that category, while also dropping from 15th in defensive rebounding to 28th.

While it is easy to point to some recent cold shooting from Memphis as the reason for their recent struggles – 29th in three-point percentage (31.7 per cent) since Adams' injury – it is their failure in the rebounding department that is ruining a lot of their good work.

It is great to have a top-five defense, but when you are only gathering 68.2 per cent of opponents' misses, it means that even your strength is no longer a strength.

It goes to show that while Jaren Jackson Jr is Memphis' best defensive player – and a strong favourite to win Defensive Player of the Year – Adams may be their most important piece on that end. 

That is even more true when the other team rolls out a center like Nikola Jokic.

Jokic, the reigning back-to-back league MVP and favourite to earn the first three-peat since Larry Bird from 1984-86, is essentially unguardable, but it is incredibly helpful to have a physical presence like Adams who is impossible to push around and can at least dictate Jokic's catch positions.

With Adams out, Jackson will likely assume the responsibility, and while that is a mouth-watering matchup between arguably the league's most gifted players on each side of the ball, the Grizzlies ace will need to be on his most disciplined behaviour.

Leading the league with 3.3 blocks per game, Jackson also sits sixth in fouls per game (3.4), and could leave his team without an anchor on the defensive end if the crafty Jokic draws a couple of early calls and puts his opponent in foul trouble.

But Jokic, while almost flawless on the offensive end, still has his own exploitable warts defensively.

The Serbian has shed the reputation of being a poor defender – leading all centers with 1.3 steals per game – but remains a liability when it comes to protecting the rim, with Denver ranking 25th when it comes to preventing points in the paint.

That is where the Grizzlies will see their greatest advantage as the league leaders for points in the paint, with Ja Morant's 14.8 points per game in that area trailing only Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (15.5) for the most among all guards.

Denver's plan of attack will likely be the complete opposite, as Memphis are the fourth-best team at preventing points in the paint but allow the fourth-most made three-pointers per game, while the Nuggets lead the league in three-point percentage (39.2 percent).

PIVOTAL PERFORMERS

Memphis Grizzlies – Ja Morant

Sometimes it is complicated to see whose impact will have the greatest effect on their team's success, and sometimes it is painfully obvious.

Morant is the Grizzlies' franchise player, leading scorer (27.1 points per game), leader in assists (8.2) and the heartbeat of their fast-paced, rim-attacking offense.

It will be his responsibility to exploit Jokic's defensive deficiency and generate high-quality looks inside for himself and team-mates, as Memphis are likely doomed if they have to rely on outside shooting (24th in three-point percentage).

Denver Nuggets – Jamal Murray

The Nuggets know what they are going to get from the metronomically consistent Jokic on a nightly basis, but the contributions from second star Jamal Murray are often what make or break their results.

In the 35 wins he has played in this season, Murray is averaging 21.7 points and 6.1 assists per game while shooting 48.3 per cent from the field, 41.6 per cent from deep and 85.5 per cent from the free-throw line.

In 14 losses, those figures plummet to 16.3 points and 5.5 assists on dismal shooting splits of 38.2/29.7/76.9 – illustrating that when it is not Murray's night, it is usually not the Nuggets' night either.

KEY BATTLE – Can Denver capitalise on the absence of Adams?

While Jokic is one of the best defensive rebounders in the league, having the third-best rate among players averaging at least 20 minutes, he is not even close to the same kind of threat on the offensive boards, where Adams' absence will be felt.

If Memphis can figure out how to limit Denver to one shot per possession and secure the defensive glass, it will not just limit second opportunities, but it will ignite the Grizzlies' fast-break offense and allow Morant to operate in the open floor with a runway.

Another key factor is that while Denver have been shooting the lights out, and Memphis have been struggling from distance, three-point percentage is often a stat that regresses to the mean over time, meaning at some point their fortunes will likely reverse.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

These sides have split their two meetings this season, with Denver securing a 14-point home win in December, before Memphis evened the ledger with an 18-point home win of their own in January.

It fits with their evenly matched recent history, with a 2-2 record from their past four meetings, and a 5-5 record dating back to January 2020.

Australia stand-in captain Steve Smith hailed "a complete performance" as the tourists raced to a nine-wicket win over India in Indore to book a place in the World Test Championship final.

In a low-scoring contest at Holkar Cricket Stadium, Australia set the tone on day one by bowling out India for 109, before going on to build an 88-run first-innings advantage.

Eight wickets in the second innings from Nathan Lyon helped to dismiss India for 163, and that left Smith's team needing just 76 for victory on Friday.

They lost Usman Khawaja early, but Travis Head made 49 not out and Marnus Labuschagne an unbeaten 28 to calm any nerves, with Australia reaching a match-winning 78-1 in 18.5 overs.

Lyon was named player of the match, and Smith said: "Nathan got all the rewards with eight wickets, but I think our bowlers as a collective were really good."

He praised the attack one by one, before adding of Australia's effort: "It was a complete performance in the end."

Smith has stepped in to lead the team since Pat Cummins travelled home to Australia for family reasons.

"We're thinking of Patty back home," Smith said at the post-match presentation. "He's had to go home, so our thoughts are with him.

"I really enjoyed this week, I like captaining in this part of the world, I feel like I understand the conditions really well and the intricacies of the game that need to happen ball in and ball out. I think I did a reasonable job this week.

"We're really proud to have clinched a spot in the World Test Championship in a couple of months' time."

It could be India awaiting Australia at the Oval in London in June, and that certainly will be the case if the home side win the fourth Test that begins at the Narendra Modi Stadium next Thursday.

Smith and Australia want to level the series though, having trimmed their arrears to 2-1 with this victory.

"Hopefully we can put up a similar performance and finish the series really well," Smith said.

India skipper Rohit Sharma said his team would "need to regroup and try to understand what we did right in the first two Test matches as well".

He said India have "got to be brave... which I thought we were not".

Lyon's 11 wickets in the match have made him the most successful bowler in Tests between India and Australia, taking him two past Anil Kumble's haul of 111 wickets.

The spinner said: "I just love challenging myself at this level and get a big thrill out of that."

Kyrie Irving feels he has finally "joined the party" after partnering with Luka Doncic to make franchise history in the Dallas Mavericks' 133-126 win against the Philadelphia 76ers.

The pair became the first Mavs team-mates to score at least 40 points each in the same game, with Doncic shooting 13-of-22 for his 42 points and Irving 15-of-22 for 40.

It is the third time Irving has reached the 40-point mark this season, and the first time since making a high-profile trade from the Brooklyn Nets on February 6.

The eight-time NBA All-Star spoke about "scaling back the pressure" earlier in the week in order to "show up to the party", and he did just that with his display against the Sixers.

"Like I said last time I was sitting up here, I just had to join the party and just make sure my team-mates were going to follow along," he said.

"Luka was ready for the party, I was ready for the party tonight, and it was one of those games where we had some special performances. I'm grateful that the work translated.

"I've got to keep it up. I've just got to keep it up and stay consistent in terms of just being prepared for when he's going to pass and get used to his flow in the game."

Irving has averaged 27 points across his 48 games for Dallas and Brooklyn this campaign, while fellow superstar Doncic leads the way in the NBA with 1,801 points overall.

The duo also combined for 18 assists, eight rebounds and four steals in Thursday's win against Philly at American Airlines Center, while hitting 13-of-21 from three-point range.

"I enjoyed watching those two working off of each other," Mavs coach Jason Kidd said. "As much as we play the game on paper, it's still played on the court. 

"They've got to work through the kinks, but I think at the end of the day, we'll be happy with what we have."

Irving is the only player in NBA history to be part of a team-mate duo scoring 40-plus points each in regulation for two different teams.

The 30-year-old previously did so with LeBron James during his time with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and it is now Doncic who is starting to build a strong partnership with Irving.

"Playing with him is so easy," said Doncic on the back of his sixth 40-point, 10-assist showing of the season. "He helps me a lot.

"The offense I don't think is a problem. I think offensively, we're good. It's just the defensive end. We've got to get stops."

The 33-31 Mavs are sixth in the Western Conference ahead of facing the Phoenix Suns on Sunday.

Gabriel Martinelli can maintain his excellent form at Bournemouth's expense on Saturday after capitalising on Everton's defensive frailties.

Martinelli scored twice as the Gunners thrashed the sorry Toffees on Wednesday to go five points clear at the top of the Premier League – and hopefully earned you a healthy haul of fantasy points.

If the Brazil winger is not in your team, then it'll perhaps be better late than never, with struggling Bournemouth travelling to Emirates Stadium on the back of a 4-1 thrashing at the hands of Manchester City.

Danny Ings can make his mark in West Ham's trip to Brighton and Hove Albion, while Harry Kane and Antonee Robinson can also rack up the points.

Using Opta data, Stats Perform highlights why that quartet deserve to get the nod.

Antonee Robinson (Brentford v Fulham)

Fulham have exceeded expectations so far this season and left-back Robinson has played a big part.

No defender has had more top-flight clean sheets (5) since the World Cup than the United States international, who was also in the Fulham side that shut out Leeds in a 2-0 FA Cup victory on Tuesday.

Robinson provided an assist in the draw at Wolves last week, and only four defenders have created more chances from open play than his eight in the Premier League since the World Cup ended.

Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal v Bournemouth)

A brace for Martinelli on Wednesday took his Premier League goal tally for the season to 11 – as many as he had scored in his previous three campaigns combined.

Unfortunate with injuries early in his career, Martinelli is putting those woes behind him and has found the back of the net in three consecutive games.

He has scored six top-flight goals since the World Cup and should cause the Cherries all sorts of problems.

Danny Ings (Brighton and Hove Albion v West Ham)

Ings opened his Hammers account in a 4-0 rout of Nottingham Forest last Saturday, scoring a double.

The striker can build on that when David Moyes' men head to the south coast to face Brighton, who Ings has also scored twice against this season during his time at Aston Villa.

Ings clearly enjoys facing the Seagulls, as he has netted five times against them and he can get on a roll to help the Hammers climb the table.

Harry Kane (Wolves v Tottenham)

It may be that Kane is a mainstay in your side, but if not then you can reap the rewards of investing in the Tottenham striker this weekend.

Kane came on as a second-half substitute in Spurs' shock 1-0 FA Cup loss at Sheffield United on Wednesday and the London club should be fired up after seeing another opportunity to end their trophy drought pass them by.

England captain Kane scored his 18th Premier League goal of the season in a derby win over Chelsea last Sunday and you should back him to put on a show at Molineux.

A new Formula One season is upon us and the 2023 campaign will be the longest in the history of the elite motorsport class.

The number of races is rising to 23, with Las Vegas joining the show, though drama will not be limited to the track.

Two seasons ago, the controversial conclusion to the campaign in Abu Dhabi was a dominant story, while last year saw Red Bull's budget cap breach and an Oscar Piastri fight between Alpine and McLaren, as well as frustrations with governing body the FIA, notably over the drivers' freedom of expression.

Get set for sporting theatre to unfold over the course of the season ahead, though the biggest talking point centres around whether anyone can dethrone Red Bull.

Red Bull gives you wins

Max Verstappen finished at the front in 15 of 22 races last season, setting a record for the most triumphs in a single campaign, and he has won over half of the events in the past two years (25 wins from 44 races).

While pre-season testing never offers a full indication of what lies ahead, Red Bull's strength was still evident and the consensus is that the defending champions will begin the campaign with an advantage over their rivals.

If that gap cannot be reduced, the biggest threat to a third consecutive crown for Verstappen may come from team-mate Carlos Perez. Should that happen, tempers may flare as they did in Sao Paulo in November when Verstappen refused a team order to allow the Mexican through.

One aspect that may provide hope to Red Bull's rivals is the punishment issued for the budget cap breach, which included a 10 per cent reduction in aerodynamic testing allowance for 12 months. While it came too late to have a major implication on the overall develop of this year's car, it could restrict the team's ability to fix any issues that arise.

Ferrari's fight to the front

A season that offered so much promise for Ferrari last term ultimately fell away through mistakes in race strategy and engine failures, the latter of which resulted in the team having to run in a low-power mode to avoid further woes.

Charles Leclerc certainly has the ability to go head to head with perennial rival Verstappen, who he has raced since his junior days, while Carlos Sainz got his long-awaited maiden F1 win at Silverstone last year.

The appointment of Fred Vasseur as team principal, replacing Mattia Binotto, hands the Scuderia an experienced head on the pit wall and may result in fewer questionable calls in race strategy.

Ferrari are confident they can mount a challenge this season and, even though Leclerc has conceded Red Bull may start with an advantage, he believes the Prancing Horse can respond.

"The target is still [to win the title]. Even if we are starting a bit of the back foot compared to them in terms of performance, I'm sure we can come back," Leclerc told Sky Sports.

Mercedes on a mission

Any hopes of a Mercedes revival in 2023 appear to have stalled already, with testing performances suggesting the team may have to look over their shoulders at those chasing from behind rather than competing at the top.

Mercedes' design continues to divide opinion, with a zero-pod approach being vastly different to their rivals and leading to questions about whether they have stuck to their guns out of pride rather than sporting merit.

With Lewis Hamilton behind the wheel, there is always a chance and the Briton will be determined to come back and add to his record 103 race wins having failed to secure a victory last season – the first campaign in his career when he has not registered a win.

The seven-time world champion was outperformed by team-mate George Russell last season, however. Russell secured a maiden race win in the penultimate race and offered consistency throughout the campaign.

Best of the rest

The biggest surprise of the testing weekend in Bahrain was the pace shown by Aston Martin who, with the addition of Fernando Alonso, have a driver who could mount a serious threat to the bigger guns on the grid.

Though a third world title for the Spaniard may be a stretch, regular podiums and dethroning one of the big three in the constructors' championship is certainly an achievable goal.

At Alpine, great care will be taken to ensure French compatriots Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon do not find themselves butting heads, with a frosty relationship over the years, while McLaren have already admitted they missed their development targets and start on the back foot as a result.

Andreas Seidl, now at the helm of Alfa Romeo-Sauber, enters with high expectations ahead of the team's transition into Audi in 2026, while AlphaTauri's long-term future continues to be questioned despite assurances Red Bull will not sell their second-string team.

Expect the season to also see further rumblings regarding new additions to the grid, with Porsche and Andretti among those pushing to join.

As ever, there is plenty to watch out for in F1 and from the first corner to the last there are likely to be surprises along the way.

Caroline Garcia is now three wins away from her first title of 2023 after defeating Nuria Parrizas-Diaz 6-3 6-2 in Thursday's second round of the Monterrey Open.

France's Garcia, the world number five and top overall seed, needed just 63 minutes to see off her Spanish challenger. She controlled the contest with her serve, taking the ace count eight to two while winning 75 per cent of her total service points (33-of-44).

She will now face Egypt's Mayar Sherif in the quarter-final after the seventh seed survived a tough 3-6 7-6 (8-6) 6-4 test from China's Wang Xinyu.

Fourth seed Elise Mertens emerged the 6-3 3-6 6-2 victor against Romania's Elena-Gabriela Ruse, while rising 22-year-old Italian Elisabetta Cocciaretto prevailed 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (7-3) against Germany's Tatjana Maria.

North of the border in Austin's ATX Open, Danielle Collins ripped off a 67-minute 6-1 6-1 drubbing of Caty McNally to advance to the quarter-final.

Collins will meet Russia's Anna Kalinskaya next after the 24-year-old's convincing 6-3 6-1 victory over veteran CoCo Vandeweghe.

Eighth seed Marta Kostyuk is one of only three seeded competitors remaining after storming home in a 6-3 3-6 6-0 battle with Madison Brengle, and Germany's Anna-Lena Friedsam won the longest match of the day in a 7-5 6-7 (2-7) 7-6 (10-8) three-hour war of attrition against 18-year-old Russian Erika Andreeva.