MOTOR SPORT/Formula One news: Germany's Timo Glock will drive for Jordan in Sunday's inaugural Chinese Grand Prix after the Irish team terminated Italian Giorgio Pantano's contract.
"It has been a pleasure working with Giorgio this year however contractual issues have made this unavoidable and we wish him every success in the future," said team boss Eddie Jordan in a statement yesterday.
It will be Glock's second start alongside compatriot Nick Heidfeld, the youngster scoring points with a seventh-place finish in Canada last June when a management dispute also kept Pantano out of the car.
"Timo's performance throughout the season as our third driver in testing and free practice has been first-class, particularly when he stood in and raced in Canada," said Jordan.
"I am confident that in this unexpected call-up he will do a good job for Jordan again. In Shanghai he will be in the same boat as everyone else as the circuit is new for all the drivers."
Glock has been Jordan's Friday test and reserve driver this season. That role will be taken over for the remaining three rounds of the season by Dutchman Robert Doornbos, who has been racing in the junior Formula 3000 series.
Pantano made his Formula One debut this season after capturing the German Formula Three title and winning races with three different F3000 teams in the junior series.
The 25-year-old has failed to score a point in 14 starts with his best result being 13th place in the European and Malaysian grands prix. He has retired from the last three races.
Pantano's departure adds a further twist to an already much-changed starting grid in Shanghai, with compatriot Jarno Trulli also absent after leaving Renault for Toyota last week following his home grand prix.
Canadian former champion Jacques Villeneuve, making his comeback after a year out, replaces Trulli at Renault while Germany's Ralf Schumacher returns for Williams after missing six races due to a big crash in June.
Villeneuve, who last week signed a two-year deal with Sauber for 2005 admitted that he is relishing the prospect of taking revenge on the BAR team which dumped him at the end of last season. Renault and BAR are involved in a close tussle for second place in the constructors' championship, the title having already gone to Ferrari.
"The team and I share a common goal: to beat BAR to second place in the championship," said Villeneuve, who will aim to overhaul his former team's two-point lead on Sunday in Shanghai.
Meanwhile, the Canadian's former BAR team-mate, Jenson Button, is likely to have his Formula One future decided by a meeting in Milan on October 16th, the Williams team said yesterday.
Williams and Honda-powered BAR are in a tug-of-war for the Briton's services for next season, with both lodging contracts for the 24-year-old, who says he wants to leave BAR for BMW-powered Williams.
Williams said Formula One's Contracts Recognition Board had met in Paris yesterday and decided to adjourn the hearing until October 16th.
"The meeting on this date will be held in Milan and is anticipated to deliver a final decision," the Williams team said in a statement.
