New contender emerges in frame to replace struggling Sargeant

The 2022 Formula 2 champion and current Aston Martin reserve driver has been “negotiating for weeks” with Williams, according to Swiss publication Blick. 

Durgovich is said to be putting his case forward to replace the struggling Logan Sargeant, who experienced a miserable Japanese Grand Prix weekend.

Sargeant’s place at Williams has been uncertain for some time and his latest crash in qualifying at Suzuka will have done little to help his bid to retain his seat for a second campaign. 

Respected F1 journalist Roger Benoit reported last week that Williams would not entertain the prospect of dismissing Sargeant before his upcoming pair of home races at Austin and Las Vegas. 

But the American rookie’s seat appears to be increasingly under threat, despite the patience and support Williams team principal James Vowles has repeatedly shown to him publicly. 

Rumours that Drugovich, who is well-backed financially, could be in the frame for a 2024 drive with Williams are gathering momentum. 

The 23-year-old Brazilian unsuccessfully tried to rival Zhou Guanyu for a seat at Alfa Romeo before the Chinese driver was re-signed for a third season. 

Schumacher and Lawson out of the running 

Mick Schumacher had been hoping to seal a return to the F1 grid on a full-time basis next year.

But his hopes appear to have been dashed amid reports that Williams boss Vowles opted against giving Schumacher a seat after a plea from Mercedes boss Toto Wolff. 

Instead, Schumacher looks set to combine his Mercedes F1 reserve role alongside a potential World Endurance Championship drive with Alpine. 

Elsewhere, Liam Lawson has seemingly ruled himself out from moving to Williams on loan, despite missing out on a full-time seat with AlphaTauri for 2024. 

Lawson has impressed Red Bull as a stand-in for the injured Daniel Ricciardo, who will be kept on alongside Yuki Tsunoda at AlphaTauri next season. 

21-year-old Lawson is now set for a year on the sidelines in a test and reserve role for Red Bull. 

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner admitted during the Japanese Grand Prix weekend that Williams are “unlikely” to take Lawson on for just one season. 

Lawson, meanwhile, made it clear that he's “a Red Bull driver” and “all the Red Bull seats are filled”. 

Red Bull are rumoured to have promised Lawson a full-time seat for 2025 - either at the senior team, or sister team AlphaTauri.