After a five-year break from the paddock, Narain Karthikeyan is back. But, with the HRT team – which struggled during 2010 – he faces an impossible uphill climb to become the first Indian to win a Formula 1 race.

Narain made his Formula 1 debut in 2005, off the back of some solid seasons in the World Series by Nissan and Formula 3. In his first year with Jordan, he scored five points – not bad for a team that, at that point, was struggling against Formula 1’s big budget manufacturer-backed squads.

Since then, Narain has been keeping his steering and pedal-work fresh in the likes of A1GP and sportscar racing at Le Mans, as well as truck races and Superleague outings in 2010.

His comeback in 2011 saw him fail to score any points as he finished 26th in the world championship. The new season hasn’t gotten off any better as he failed to qualify for the season-opening grid in Australia, but things could turn around and the only remaining Indian driver in Formula One remains hopeful.