Glock in for Pantano.

Timo Glock will make his Formula One race debut in Sunday's Canadian Grand prix, after the stewards of the meeting granted permission for him to replace the absent Giorgio Pantano alongside Nick Heidfeld.

The team continues to insist that Pantano is unable to take part in the Montreal weekend due to 'personal circumstances', but this is understood to mean that his sponsors have defaulted on a payment required to keep him in the line-up.

Timo Glock will make his Formula One race debut in Sunday's Canadian Grand prix, after the stewards of the meeting granted permission for him to replace the absent Giorgio Pantano alongside Nick Heidfeld.

The team continues to insist that Pantano is unable to take part in the Montreal weekend due to 'personal circumstances', but this is understood to mean that his sponsors have defaulted on a payment required to keep him in the line-up.

Glock is familiar with the Jordan-Ford EJ14, having acted as the team's official reserve and Friday morning driver from the beginning of the season, and, despite being less accustomed to the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, has been pleasingly close to team-mate Heidfeld's times throughout the opening few sessions. Having partnered Heidfeld throughout Friday, the young German also ventured out in the first of Saturday morning's free practice sessions, lapping within three-tenths of his more senior colleague.

"I'm excited and a bit nervous to be taking part in this grand prix," the F3 graduate admitted, "It is my first time at this track and I spent most of yesterday learning the circuit. Obviously, I was not expecting to race in F1 this soon, and the circumstances are not very nice for my team-mate Giorgio, but I will give full effort as always and I hope I can do a good job for the team."

Glock is the first driver to graduate through Deutsche Post's 'Speed Academy' development programme and race in Formula One. Since 1990, every German F1 driver has raced for Jordan at some point, but Glock's F1 debut will give the Silverstone team its first all-German driver line-up.

"The circumstances of Timo's first race with Jordan are unexpected, and he is certainly being thrown in at the deep end," admitted team boss Eddie Jordan, "However, he has been doing a first-class job as our test and third driver, and part of that role is to be prepared to replace either race driver if they are unable to take part in an event. Timo's first grand prix has come rather more quickly than anybody anticipated, but I have every confidence that he will give it his all."

The team continues to insist that Pantano's 'problems' are solvable, and that it expects him to 'be in a position to resume his normal driving duties at the next round of the Formula One World Championship in Indianapolis next week'.

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