Bruno Senna has admitted he has a "plan B" in the event Williams decides to replace him for 2013 with Finnish rookie Valtteri Bottas.
Agencia Estado quotes the Brazilian as admitting he and Bottas, the team’s Toto Wolff-linked 2012 reserve driver, "are in the same battle" for a single race seat for next season.
"As soon as we saw that the battle was strong, we saw that we needed a plan B, because you can’t wait until the end (of the year) to see whether or not you are somewhere," said Senna.
"Ideally, I’d like to continue at Williams, because I believe that continuity is important. But if I am not there, I’ll need to be somewhere else."
Some media reports claim Bottas, 23, will surely be Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado’s teammate in 2013.
Senna responded: "We are in the race with Bottas, but at the same time, I am negotiating with other places to ensure I have a spot next year."
The Agencia Estado news agency also quoted Senna as saying his mother Viviane, the sister of the late and great Ayrton Senna, had ruled out a switch to the "dangerous" oval-based Indycar series.