Liam Lawson has been unexpectedly linked with Williams amid the ongoing uncertainty over his Racing Bulls future.

With just a month to go before the end of the season, Lawson still doesn’t have a contract for next year. He’s under pressure from Formula 2 title contender and Red Bull junior Nikola Tsolov.

On Canal Plus’ coverage of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, former Franck Montagny relayed a rumour that Lawson could replace Alex Albon at Williams in a stunning driver-market twist, with Tsolov getting the Racing Bulls drive.

Williams lifeline ruled out for Liam Lawson

ESPN journalist Nate Saunders spoke to Lawson’s camp about the story, and they said that there hadn’t been any talks with Williams. James Vowles’ squad echoed this message.

Likewise, Planet F1’s Thomas Maher has heard from ‘multiple sources’ that Albon’s seat is not at risk whatsoever, even though he has been convincingly beaten by Carlos Sainz in qualifying this season.

Even after Albon’s first Q3 appearance of the year in Sao Paulo, he trails the head-to-head 15-4. Only Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso (16-2 vs Lance Stroll) has been more dominant against his teammate.

Another paddock insider, Christian Hewgill, has been told that the rumours are ‘complete rubbish’.

Williams have shown an interest in Lawson previously, most notably in 2024, when Vowles was looking for a mid-season replacement for Logan Sargeant. The Kiwi wasn’t on the grid at that stage, but Red Bull blocked the move and he soon took Daniel Ricciardo’s Racing Bulls seat instead.

As Hewgill notes, Albon signed a new Williams contract as recently as August. It was only a one-year extension, but the team have expressly stated that he will be driving for them in 2027.

Cadillac have a seat available, but that’s the only alternative if Lawson loses his Racing Bulls seat. And the longer the team deliberate, the poorer his chances.

Besides, Colton Herta looks like the biggest threat to Valtteri Bottas, should the team opt to make a change. That’s why the team have been so keen to top up Herta’s superlicence points with a string of FP1 outings.

It’s not entirely clear who is making the decision about Racing Bulls’ driver line-up. It was previously reported that Red Bull sports boss Oliver Mintzlaff would decide Lawson’s fate.

But in an update on Lawson’s future last week, Racing Bulls CEO Peter Bayer said it was up to their team principal, Alan Permane, to choose between him and Tsolov.