Logan Sargeant insists he is "satisfied" with his own driving this year - even though Williams appears to definitely be planning for his 2025 successor.
Team boss James Vowles’ top pick to be Alex Albon’s new long-term teammate from next year was clearly Carlos Sainz - but the Ferrari refugee may now have let too many decision-deadlines pass.
Vowles’ short-list now appears to be down to either the similarly Mercedes-linked Esteban Ocon, who seems closer to a deal with Haas, or Valtteri Bottas.
"Esteban is very, very fast," the Williams principal told Canal Plus, "but fast at a level that, when he competed against (Fernando) Alonso, they were basically equal in qualifying.
"It’s true that he’s usually in a close fight with his teammate and there are some collisions, there’s no doubt about that," Vowles added. "But he’s also very, very fast and that’s the hardest part when you’re a racing driver."
As for Bottas, a former Williams driver who does not appear to be part of new Sauber team owner’s works Audi plans for the future, Vowles described him as a "very fast driver" who has proved he can sometimes "beat Lewis Hamilton in qualifying".
"And Valtteri hasn’t lost the speed he used to have, he’s the same as before," said Vowles, who worked closely with Bottas, 34, at Mercedes.
"He’s now driving for the team that has the slowest car, but despite that he still manages to beat some of the other teams sometimes. I also like that he is sincere and straightforward."
Bottas was seen meeting privately with Vowles once again at the British GP recently.
"He is definitely an option for us," Vowles said, "but he’s not the only one."
All the rumours are bad news for 2023 and 2024 Williams driver Sargeant, 23, who has been linked with a potential move to the US-based Indycar series.
"I’ve been hearing all these rumours for a long time," the American is quoted as saying by France’s Auto Hebdo. "At the end of the day, I show up every time and I do my best.
"I’m also here for me. I want to prove to myself that I can continue to improve, to show that I’m capable of doing it. I know the reality and I know that I did a good job this season with what I had," Sargeant added. "And that’s what matters most to me."
Indeed, even Williams doesn’t deny that at least part of the current gap between Sargeant and Albon in 2024 has been the fact that the two car specifications are usually not identical.
"It’s difficult to have a clear idea of how everything has gone," Sargeant continued. "What I do know is that I am satisfied with the way I am driving. I couldn’t say that last year, but I can say it this year.
"And I’ll keep fighting whatever the situation is. I will fight until the end."