Adrian Sutil’s manager has acknowledged a test this week in Barcelona is the German driver’s "last chance" to return to formula one.
Sutil, 30, bowed out of the sport at the end of 2011, after Force India replaced him with Nico Hulkenberg in the wake of the Eric Lux assault affair.
But with Hulkenberg now at Sauber for 2013, Force India’s is the last race vacancy for the forthcoming season.
Jules Bianchi, who tested the new VJM06 at Jerez recently, is one candidate, but Sutil has also had a seat for the 2013 car fitted ahead of this week’s testing in Barcelona.
Sutil’s manager, Manfred Zimmermann, said the chance of a 2013 race seat with Force India is "intact" with just one month to go until the Melbourne season opener.
"We continue to hope, knowing that Barcelona is pretty much the last chance," he is quoted by German news agency DPA.