Vettel, the four-time champion, had to step aside due to Covid-19 for reserve driver Nico Hulkenberg in the first two races of the season.
The AMR22, Aston Martin's 2022 challenger, did a total of 295 laps around the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in pre-season testing session.
The current 1.6-litre V6 engines will be retained in F1's engine regulations for 2026, but the MGU-H component will be removed.
It had been hoped and expected that the race's chapter would be closed at a meeting of the F1 Commission on Monday.
Zhou, 22, has joined Alfa Romeo for the upcoming season, making him the first Chinese driver in Formula One history.
The Silverstone-based team, which is entering its second season back on the Formula One grid, unveiled the AMR22 in an online launch.
Aramco will work with Aston Martin to help the team meet Formula One's target of cars powered entirely by sustainable fuels by 2025.
Aston Martin's workforce has grown since Lawrence Stroll purchased the team in 2018 and invested heavily in it – but that isn't the issue.
Vettel blamed F1's technical rules and race calendar for not being as fast and innovative in many social and environmental issues.