diff --git a/cfn-lint-serverless/cfn_lint_serverless/rules/api_gateway.py b/cfn-lint-serverless/cfn_lint_serverless/rules/api_gateway.py
index b24d2d9..602afd7 100644
--- a/cfn-lint-serverless/cfn_lint_serverless/rules/api_gateway.py
+++ b/cfn-lint-serverless/cfn_lint_serverless/rules/api_gateway.py
@@ -72,8 +72,15 @@ def _check_log_format(self, log_format: str) -> bool:
         As users can use non-string keys like '$context.integration.latency', we
         need to transform the log format into something that can be decoded into
         JSON first.
+
+        If the log format is not a string (e.g., it's an intrinsic function like
+        !Ref or !Sub), we skip validation and return True.
         """
 
+        # Skip validation when Format is an intrinsic function (Ref/Sub/etc.)
+        if not isinstance(log_format, str):
+            return True
+
         # Strip any leading/trailing quotes and whitespace that might be in the string
         log_format = log_format.strip()
         if (log_format.startswith("'") and log_format.endswith("'")) or (
diff --git a/cfn-lint-serverless/tests/templates/ws2001-http-sub-format.pass.yaml b/cfn-lint-serverless/tests/templates/ws2001-http-sub-format.pass.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..98559d4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cfn-lint-serverless/tests/templates/ws2001-http-sub-format.pass.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+AWSTemplateFormatVersion: '2010-09-09'
+Transform: AWS::Serverless-2016-10-31
+Description: Test WS2001 when Format is !Sub for HTTP APIs
+
+Resources:
+  HttpApi:
+    Type: AWS::ApiGatewayV2::Api
+    Properties:
+      Name: test-http-api
+      ProtocolType: HTTP
+
+  HttpApiStage:
+    Type: AWS::ApiGatewayV2::Stage
+    Properties:
+      ApiId: !Ref HttpApi
+      StageName: prod
+      AutoDeploy: true
+      AccessLogSettings:
+        DestinationArn: !Sub 'arn:aws:logs:${AWS::Region}:${AWS::AccountId}:log-group:/apigateway/http'
+        Format: !Sub '{"requestId":"$context.requestId","ip":"$context.identity.sourceIp","requestTime":"$context.requestTime","httpMethod":"$context.httpMethod","routeKey":"$context.routeKey","status":"$context.status","protocol":"$context.protocol","responseLength":"$context.responseLength"}'
+      DefaultRouteSettings:
+        ThrottlingBurstLimit: 1000
+        ThrottlingRateLimit: 10
diff --git a/cfn-lint-serverless/tests/templates/ws2001-rest-ref-format.pass.yaml b/cfn-lint-serverless/tests/templates/ws2001-rest-ref-format.pass.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..014f6ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cfn-lint-serverless/tests/templates/ws2001-rest-ref-format.pass.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+AWSTemplateFormatVersion: '2010-09-09'
+Transform: AWS::Serverless-2016-10-31
+Description: Test WS2001 when Format is !Ref
+
+Parameters:
+  LogFormat:
+    Type: String
+    Default: '{"requestId":"$context.requestId"}'
+
+Resources:
+  Api:
+    Type: AWS::Serverless::Api
+    Properties:
+      StageName: prod
+      AccessLogSetting:
+        DestinationArn: !Sub 'arn:aws:logs:${AWS::Region}:${AWS::AccountId}:log-group:/apigateway'
+        Format: !Ref LogFormat
+      DefinitionBody:
+        openapi: "3.0.1"
+        info:
+          title: "test-api"
+          version: 1.0.0
+        paths:
+          /:
+            get:
+              responses:
+                "200":
+                  description: "OK"
+              x-amazon-apigateway-integration:
+                requestTemplates:
+                  application/json: '{"statusCode": 200}'
+                passthroughBehavior: when_no_match
+                responses:
+                  default:
+                    statusCode: "200"
+                type: mock
+      MethodSettings:
+        - HttpMethod: "*"
+          ResourcePath: "/*"
+          ThrottlingRateLimit: 10
+          ThrottlingBurstLimit: 1000
+      TracingEnabled: true