Vettel welcomes Indy opportunity

Sebastien Vettel is delighted to have been given the chance to make his Grand Prix debut this weekend, although the young German wished it was under different circumstances

"Of course, I am looking forward to my first F1 race, but I wish it had come under different circumstances," said Vettel. "It's never nice if a teammate can't drive because he had an accident.

"For me the Indianapolis Speedway is unknown territory, but I have prepared myself for this situation and tomorrow I have two 90-minute practice sessions. I know the car very well as I have quite a lot of testing miles under my belt."

The 19-year-old will stand in for BMW Sauber teammate Robert Kubica, after the Pole was not given the green light to race at Indianapolis following his crash in Canada.

Vettel, currently competing in the World Series by Renault, was the team's third driver from last year's Turkish Grand Prix.

BMW motorsport boss Mario Theissen said the team respected the doctors' decision to not allow Kubica to drive.

"We respect the decision of the medical personnel," said Theissen. "The team was prepared for this situation. Sebastian will receive all possible support from us and we hope for another good race here."