Sky reported on Sunday during prese♊ason testin✱g 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 seas𝐆on begins, but it remains their hopeไ that he will be available.

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

Aston Martin boss Mike Krack was asked ♏about Vettel’s return but said: “I will not tel♔l you!

“I𒀰 have had a couple of phone calls with Sebastian. But this has been also last ye꧟ar, and this will continue in the future.

“It’s our Plan A, obviously, y൲ou want to have Lance 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 dꩲrive or can he not drive?”

Krack confirmed that Aston Martin were not obliged to use either of their reserve drivers🐼, if Stroll is r✃uled out of next week’s race.

Their other driver, Fernando Alonso, came under particular praise from Red Bull boss Christian Horner for his pac♎e durinꦇg testing.