Vettel untroubled by limited testing ahead of Aston debut

Sebastian Vettel says the limited testing available to him ahead of his Grand Prix debut with Aston Martin doesn't concern him as the constraint is the same for everyone.

Team will undertake just three days of pre-season testing in Bahrain - from March 12 to 14 - before the lights go out at Sakhir two weeks later and launch the 2021 F1 season.

Three days equates to 1.5 days for each driver within a team. But Vettel isn't expecting the limited track time to complicate his switch from Ferrari to Aston Martin.

"From what I hear, at the moment there will be one test prior to the season and that will be the first time I will be in the new car," said the four-time world champion, quoted by Formula1.com. 

"[Am I] concerned? No. If it happens to be that then that’s what it is.

"Over the years, I think you get used to very little track time and making the most of the track time, so even if one and a half days doesn’t sound like a lot, still you can get some decent running.

"I think it’s the same for all of us and you can do a lot of stuff beforehand nowadays. I guess the key will be the preparation leading into the test and then leading to the first race."

• Read also: Szafnauer aims to harness 'extra energy' with Vettel

Vettel's replacement at Ferrari, Carlos Sainz, will kick into gear a little earlier than his rivals, with the Scuderia setting up a private test for the Spaniard onboard one of its older-spec cars in the coming weeks to fast-track his integration into his new environment.

Unfortunately, Aston Martin can't extend such a courtesy to Vettel.

"We don’t have the ability to run a two-year-old car," said Aston team boss Otmar Szafnauer.

"We’ll be doing everything we can with Seb to get him integrated into the team, do a lot of sim work with him as well, and then use the three days of testing that we have to the best of our ability to get him ready for the first race."

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