Liam Lawson “loan” option explained - and why it’s “unappealing”

Lawson has impressed as a replacement for the injured Daniel Ricciardo for Red Bull’s sister team AlphaTauri this season.

He will compete in his fifth consecutive grand prix next weekend in Qatar and his performances have caught the eye.

Although Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda will retain the AlphaTauri seats in 2024, Red Bull do not want to let Lawson out of their grasp.

“Red Bull are keen to keep hold of Lawson,” Lawrence Barretto reported on F1.com. 

“It is possible they could loan him out for a year, should Williams want him to replace Logan Sargeant.

“The two teams have collaborated before, with Alex Albon joining the British outfit, having been under contract at Red Bull as reserve.

“However, any such deal for Lawson would almost certainly only be for a year, with Red Bull understood to be very keen to have Lawson racing one of their four cars in 2025 – and that is likely to be unappealing to Williams.”

Williams would not want to find themselves without a driver in 2025 when Red Bull would recall Lawson.

This could be good news for Sargeant, the only driver on the 2023 grid whose place for next season is still at risk.

But it would mean that the highly impressive Lawson would have to settle for another year outside a full-time F1 drive.

Ricciardo’s comeback - tentatively teed up for later this month in the USA - will end Lawson’s temporary stay in the AlphaTauri seat.

But 2025 could finally be his year - with even a Red Bull drive, alongside Max Verstappen, a theoretic possibility according to this report.