New Delhi: Narain Karthikeyan - the only Indian with a realistic chance of bagging an F1 drive in the near future - shuffles on the horns of a dilemma for the 2004 season. 

He can either do the World Series, where he was third last year, all over again, or wait for a vacant spot on the F1 grid in the latter half of the season. 

The predicament's been forced upon the 27-year-old Indian as he has been able to raise only one million euros to finance his season. That'll allow him to compete in the World Series, a rung lower than F1, but it ain't enough for a full season of F1 which, in his case, requires 2.2 million euros. 

"Minardi offered me a drive after my test with them last December. They waited for me to raise the necessary amount before they signed on others for the 2004 season. They have been after me the whole of last week too, but I just can't get the amount together," said an exasperated Narain. 

Each time a mid-rung F1 team steps out of the garage it spends about 200,000 euros. With nearly 60 per cent of their operating finances being raised from the open market, the less well-off teams rely heavily on the amounts being raised by their drivers. 

In the beginning a driver gets his break on the weight of the money he brings in. Only after he's proved himself in the 350 km plus speed zone of F1 do the fat pay cheques come his way. 

After all even a driver like Alex Yoong, who is no patch on Narain, too intruded upon the F1 grid on account of a rumoured $20 million as Malaysia stepped up their drive to sell the Sepang GP to the Asian market. 

The price was so high because Yoong had not even won a Formula 3 race. Narain, on the other hand has won five. 

Fuelling Narain's hope is the fact that Minardi's present choices - Gianmaria Bruni and Zsolt Baumgartner - are said to be facing sponsorship problems. The latter's support by the Hungarian government is especially said to be in jeopardy. 

But Narain's mentor Sanjay Sharma is not comfortable with his sitting out a season in the hope of a F1 spot. 

"His lure to sponsors stays his visibility. If he does not get an F1 drive he'll disappear from the corporate radar for a whole year. He can't afford that." 

The game, though, will change altogether if Hyderabad 's deal with F1 comes through. "It'll fit in with the F1 business model to promote an Indian driver to spur interest in the Indian GP. Then Narain is the only choice," speculates Sanjay. 

But for now, Narain mulls at the crossroads. For the "fastest Indian in the world," this is one blind corner he just can't take flat out.