Red Bull worried about how Liam Lawson will fare at two tracks if he joins Williams

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Liam Lawson is a contender to replace Logan Sargeant at Williams for the rest of the season. James Vowles is seriously considering axing Sargeant after his latest accident at the Dutch Grand Prix.

The American driver is due to lose his seat at the end of the season anyway following the signing of Carlos Sainz, who will partner Alex Albon. But it seems Vowles may have run out of patience.

Sargeant crashed heavily in a wet final practice session at Zandvoort on Saturday, ruling him out of qualifying. He would finish the race in 16th place.

To make matters worse, Williams’ main rivals Alpine scored two points through Pierre Gasly to open up a nine-point lead. If the Grove outfit want to have any chance of climbing to eighth place, they may need an upgrade on Sargeant.

Reserve drivers represent the most realistic options. Vowles is also eyeing Mick Schumacher, the former Haas man who’s currently on the books of engine suppliers Mercedes.

Lawson has been carrying out the third driver role for the two Red Bull teams this year. That’s after driving in five Grands Prix last term following Daniel Ricciardo’s hand injury at the Dutch GP.

Red Bull concerned about ‘dropping’ Liam Lawson at Williams before Baku and Singapore

The configuration of the calendar could hurt Lawson. For instance, with the Netherlands and Italy running back-to-back, he’d have only a few days to prepare for his first race if Williams struck a deal on Tuesday.

And what’s more, according to ESPN, Red Bull are ‘wary’ of ‘dropping’ him into an unfamiliar car for the upcoming races in Azerbaijan and Singapore. Those are scheduled for 15 and 22 September.

Given that they’re both street tracks – albeit different in character – Christian Horner seems to be concerned about the increased likelihood of a crash. That could damage the confidence of a driver who’s in the running for an RB or even a Red Bull seat next year.

After Singapore, there’s a four-week break before the triple header in the United States, Mexico and Brazil. That may be a preferable juncture, but it would also give Williams just six races to see an uplift in performance.

What Helmut Marko has said about Liam Lawson replacing Logan Sargeant

Publicly, Red Bull seem open to loaning Lawson. Horner had even raised the possibility on Friday, albeit when discussing the 2025 season.

Helmut Marko says the team won’t stand in his way if they believe it will aid his development. It could give them a chance to evaluate the New Zealander as they ponder their options for next year.

Lawson will hold talks with Red Bull over his future this week. He’s entitled to leave in September if the team haven’t found him a seat.

However, he may elect to remain patient. Indeed, Lawson’s camp are loyal to Red Bull and don’t want to cut ties unless absolutely necessary.