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Vergne ready for grand prix debut

Jean-Eric Vergne was quickest in the morning of his final day of pre-season testing before an engine problem reduced his running © Getty Images

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• Drivers:
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Jean-Eric Vergne says that he feels ready to take part in his first ever grand prix after completing his pre-season testing schedule.

Daniel Ricciardo will take over the Toro Rosso after Vergne finished Friday's running in Barcelona with the second quickest time. He was only able to complete 45 laps after an engine problem just before lunch, but while Vergne hadn't really acknowledged he would next be in the car at the first race in Australia he said that he was ready for his debut.

"It feels incredible," Vergne said when put to him by ESPNF1 that he wouldn't drive again before Melbourne. "I don't know, it's just crazy. It went so fast and just thinking that the next time that I'm in the car will be for Melbourne's grand prix ... I probably didn't realise that

"Definitely the more testing you have the more ready you will be, and you will never really be 100% for the grand prix but I feel ready for the race and to make a good race."

After the disjointed day in Barcelona that saw Vergne confined to the garage for most of the afternoon before carrying out pit stop drills he said he'd aim for a clean race in a fortnight's time.

"I think the main goals will be not to do any mistakes and to finish the race. It is pretty clear. It's difficult to target tenth, ninth, eighth place because we don't really know how the others are. The only thing which is a possible target is not to do any mistakes from my side and the team's side as well and to finish the race. If we do this I'm pretty sure looking at the other years that we're going to score some points."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.