Sky reported on Sunday during preseason testing🎉 that Vettel had offered himself to Aston Martin, the team he represented last year, as a last-gasp replacement for the injured Lance Stroll.

Stroll missed testing in Bahrain and Aston Martin cannot yet determine ♒if he will be fit to drive next week when the first race of the season begins, but it remains their hope that he will be available.

Vettel, the four-time F1 champion who retired at the end of last season, could emerge༺d as a shock option to return to the car without ever actually missing a single race.

Aston Martin boss Mike Krack was asked about Vettel’s return but saiಌd: “I will not tell you!

“I have had🔯 a couple of phone calls with Sebastian. But this has been also last🌳 year, and this will continue in the future.

“ꦏIt’s our Plan A, obviously, you want to have La🍨nce back in the car. But we have to wait for what he says and what the doctors say.

“The Plan B we have to decide – we have some Plan Bs, but we have 🦩to decide the Plan B when Plan A is first. It’s very simple: Can he drive or can he not drive?”

Kra👍ck confirmed that Aston Martin were not obliged to use either of their reserve drivers, if Stroll is ruled out of next week’s race.

Their other driver, Fernando Alonso, came♏ under particular praise from Red Bull💮 boss Christian Horner for his pace during testing.