Karun Chandok believes Williams ought to goal Liam Lawson for a 2024 seat after the rookie’s spectacular efficiency in Singapore.
Lawson, who has changed the injured Daniel Ricciardo at AlphaTauri within the final three races and also will fill on this weekend in Japan, secured his first points-finish on the weekend by coming house ninth.
It secured the New Zealander two factors and AlphaTauri’s best-finish of the season however Ricciardo is prone to return in three weeks’ time in Qatar.
However, the perceived underachievement of Logan Sargeant at Williams this season – he’s nonetheless on zero factors, whereas team-mate Alex Albon has earned 21 factors – has led Chandok to imagine that Williams boss James Vowles ought to strategy Lawson a couple of full-time seat subsequent yr.
“If I was Williams, I would definitely be looking at Liam Lawson,” ex-F1 driver Chandok advised Sky F1.
“You’ve got to have the conversation, haven’t you? Because you know, Albon’s out-qualified Sargeant on every occasion, he has had scored all the points so far at Williams.
“If you are Williams, you should be shopping around and Liam Lawson had put himself on the market in a very good way.”
While most groups have confirmed their driver line-ups for 2024, solely Williams with Sargeant and AlphaTauri with each seats are but to take action.
It has been broadly reported that AlphaTauri will this week, at a minimal, affirm Yuki Tsunoda’s seat for 2024 in what can be his fourth-straight season with Red Bull’s sister staff.
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Liam Lawson completed a formidable ninth in Singapore on Sunday
(Getty Images)
Lawson, who has been racing within the Japanese Super Formula sequence this season after ending third in Formula 2 final yr, insisted post-race in Singapore that he wasn’t considering an excessive amount of about his future.
“I have no idea, honestly,” the 21-year-old mentioned, when requested about his future.
“It’s tricky to get a full-time seat in this sport. But like I said, rather than looking at all those external things, it’s for me just focusing on every session, trying to maximise each time I’m in the car and try what I can.”
Deputising mid-season and impressing doesn’t all the time result in a shiny future in F1: Nyck de Vries completed ninth final yr in Monza for Williams, filling in for Alex Albon, and subsequently secured a 2023 drive with AlphaTauri.
However, the Dutchman was dropped after 10 races this season with Ricciardo changing him.