India's first professional driver Narain Karthikeyan managed to hang on to an overall second position in the Superfund World Series as he battled mechanical failures and on-track incidents to finish fourth at the A-1 ring in Austria.

Karthikeyan was forced to start at the end of the grid as he sat out the entire qualification session in the pit lane following an engine misfire caused by a faulty fuel pump, according to a statement from Tata Racing.

But the gritty driver overcame the odds in style to finish a satisfactory fourth at the A-1 ring on the weekend and earn valuable points to remain second in the overall championship with three more races to go.

The next race of the world series will be held at Catalunya in Spain on October 5.