F1 Gossip: Russell out, Perez in at Williams? The latest rumours in silly season

F1's silly season is ramping up and the latest rumours regarding 2021 - including the futures of George Russell, Sergio Perez and Mick Schumacher - leads our latest gossip column... 

- Sergio Perez to replace George Russell at Williams, Mick Schumacher to Haas alongside Nikita Mazepin, Nico Hulkenberg frontrunner for Red Bull and Pierre Gasly linked to Renault? These are the latest driver market transfer rumours doing the rounds for 2021 as the silly season looks set to ramp up (RaceFans)

- Haas team boss Guenther Steiner has confirmed that the US outfit is interested in the possibility of signing current Formula 2 championship leader Mick Schumacher (Auto Bild) 

- F1’s ban on the use of high performance engine modes in qualifying has brought Red Bull “a step closer” to Mercedes, according to the team’s trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin (Formula 1) 

- Helmut Marko has told Sky Germany that the 2021 F1 calendar could begin in Asia and the Middle East with the opening rounds taking place in China, Vietnam and Bahrain before the traditional curtain-raiser takes place in Australia (Sky Germany) 

- Meanwhile, the already postponed first ever inaugural Vietnam Grand Prix has now officially been cancelled by race organisers due to the “uncertainty” over the coronavirus pandemic (BBC F1) 

- Renault’s F1 gains this season shows it can now be regarded as a serious challenger, says team boss Cyril Abiteboul (Motorsport Week) 

- But Abiteboul has insisted that Renault won’t allow Fernando Alonso’s return to the team to distract it from its plans to focus on its 2022 car development, despite the momentum it has been building this year (RACER)