F1 Gossip: 23-race calendar for 2021 and Verstappen's teammate preference

23-race 2021 calendar presented to F1 teams, Max Verstappen informs Red Bull of preferred teammate for next season, and could a salary cap dent a new mega money Mercedes deal for Lewis Hamilton? It's all in the latest gossip column...

- A draft 2021 calendar comprising 23 rounds, two triple-header events and a first-ever race in Saudi Arabia has been presented to F1’s 10 teams (Auto Motor und Sport, in German) 

- F1’s bid to introduce select reverse-grid qualifying races in 2021 has been voted down for a third time after a lack of support from teams (RaceFans) 

- Max Verstappen has told Red Bull that Nico Hulkenberg would be his preferred  teammate for the 2021 F1 season, after the team’s bosses asked the Dutchman for his opinion about a possible successor to Alex Albon (De Telegraaf) 

- A salary cap could dent a new £40m-a-year Mercedes deal for Lewis Hamilton after F1 teams unanimously agree to limit drivers’ wages to £22m per season from 2023 (The Daily Mail) 

- Nico Rosberg has hailed Hamilton’s record 92nd F1 win and sporting longevity as a great achievement but said the way the Briton was using his platform to raise awareness for global issues is just as impressive (Reuters) 

- Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has explained the key difference in Hamilton’s approach that has given him the edge during the 2020 F1 season (F1.com) 

- Mercedes-Benz has announced it will make a major investment in Aston Martin to up its stake from five percent to 20, in what executive chairman Lawrence Stroll described as “a transformational moment” for the company (Motorsport Week)