F1 future uncertain for Karthikeyan

Narain Karthikeyan enjoyed a positive return to the F1 grid on Sunday but he’s not sure he will be back in 2012.

The Indian lost his seat to the Red Bull-backed Daniel Ricciardo earlier this season, but was back at the wheel in Delhi for a one-off return at his home race.

His teammate for the Delhi weekend was Ricciardo, and despite not driving since June Karthikeyan came within a hair’s breadth of outqualifying the Australian.

And in the race, Karthikeyan beat Ricciardo to the chequered flag.

"I am really happy that I finished the race and ahead of (my) teammate too," he is quoted by the Press Trust of India.

"It is the best possible result we could have got. I was just half a second behind the Virigin car," added Karthikeyan.

But the reality is that HRT only opted to put Karthikeyan back in the car this weekend due to his paying Indian sponsors, with Vitantonio Liuzzi to return in Abu Dhabi.

As for 2012, the 34-year-old admits he has no idea.

"We have not discussed that yet. We don’t talk about it. Where do we go? I don’t know," he said.

One hope is that Sunday’s event will motivate more Indian sponsors to back him.

"I think, it should help," said Karthikeyan.