Karthikeyan 'Sure' he will Stay in F1

Despite not having scored any points, Grand Prix racing's first Indian driver has won a host of admirers thanks to his attacking style and grim determination.

Speaking ahead of this weekend's Monaco Grand Prix, where Karthikeyan will likely have a better chance to shine than normal, he claimed that he was 'sure' he would be in F1 in 2006.

"I've already impressed a lot of people in F1," he told an interview with the Times of India. "I've consistently outperformed the car and my teammate Tiago (Monteiro). That's what counts.

"I'm going to be here next year too, with Jordan or some other team. I'm very sure of that. Some team owners came up to me in Melbourne and said they were impressed with my style."

Jordan's driver plans for next year are nowhere near being finalised, but there has been plenty of speculation that Champ Car driver Mario Dominguez has an option, while team owner Alex Shnaider has made no secret of the fact that he ultimately wants a Russian star.

Karthikeyan is hopeful that there is still a chance for him to stay with the Silverstone-based outfit next year, although knows that he will need to deliver at least one good result to make that task easier.

"Jordan is behind me all the way," he added. "Anything that Jordan decides can only be good for me. Anyway it will take a minimum of five years for a Russian to come in. There are no miracles in F1.

"I'm sure people are asking why 17th all the time? Why isn't he fighting it out with Schumacher? If I don't get a point, interest will drop. But a couple of good performances, even a point, and people will come back."