His chances of a return to Formula One may appear bleak at the moment, but Adrian Sutil is refusing to give up hope.
The 29-year-old German has been forced to watch the first five races of the 2012 campaign from the sidelines after Force India opted not to renew his contract at the end of last season.
Sutil, who attended last weekend's Spanish GP in Barcelona, says he is "ready and on hold" should an opportunity come his way.
"I'm always looking, but I have nothing at the moment," he told Autosport. "I chose this grand prix to come back because it's the first in Europe. It feels good to be back in the paddock and to see some people.
"That is the key to getting a drive and hopefully very soon. At the moment, there are no seats available and I have to wait. But people know that I am ready and on hold. I have to wait for the call.
"I talk to many different teams, but they can't say anything right now. They say that they are maybe interested, but you can't get more. They tell me to hold on, keep fit and then maybe there is an opportunity. I have to believe in it and it will come."
While many drivers without a seat hope to make the grid by securing major financial backing, Sutil says he won't go down that route.
"We are not offering money," he said. "After five years, people know that I'm good and I don't need to bring sponsors.
"I want a normal salary for my driving and that's it. I want to get treated like a race driver and it's important for the whole sport that the real talents are in the seats and not the drivers with the biggest money behind them."
