Hispania Racing test driver Christian Klien has confirmed that his appearance in the team's second car at the Singapore Grand Prix weekend was a "one-off" appearance despite rumours of the deal becoming a longer term arrangement.
Former Jaguar and Red Bull driver Klien replaced Sakon Yamamoto at the team for the Singapore weekend, after the Japanese driver came down with food poisoning on the eve of the weekend.
But rumours in the paddock suggested that the deal was more than just an illness-based switch, with the Hispania team cars reportedly carrying a new Austrian sponsor on their cars this weekend.
The team was also reportedly without one of Yamamoto's own personal sponsors, which he had brought to the team in return for his race drive.
But Klien confirmed after the race that he is not taking over Yamamoto's seat for the long-term, and that Yamamoto would be back in the car for the next race in Japan.
"Singapore was a one-off to replace Sakon Yamamoto. Anything else is not in my hands," Klien told reporters in Singapore.
He added: "It was really great to be feeling like a proper racing driver again and I do hope I could make my mark this weekend."
Klien enjoyed an impressive drive over the weekend, outqualifying his team mate Bruno Senna by over a second, despite both drivers being stuck at the back of the grid.
He then raced near the back of the field before retiring halfway through the race with hydraulics issues while classified 18th.
Despite his happiness at the chance to get back behind the wheel of a Formula One car, though, Klien was less complimentary about the characteristics of the F110 HRT car.
"It behaves just like a rally car," he shrugged to the Finnish media when asked about the state of his backmarking car, "I should probably ask Kimi Raikkonen for advice."
Klien last raced in the sport back at the 2006 Italian Grand Prix, but drove the Hispania car in the first Friday practice session at the Spanish and European GP weekends so far in 2010.
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