Exclusive: Pantano Changes Management Team

Italian Giorgio Pantano revealed to Atlas F1 today that he has undergone a shake-up of his management team this week to ensure he will continue racing with Jordan Grand Prix for the rest of the year.

Pantano made his Formula One debut with the British team in Australia in March but missed the Canadian Grand Prix last weekend after failing to reach an agreement to continue his deal.

He was replaced by German Timo Glock but will return to the cockpit for this weekend's United States Grand Prix and told Atlas F1: "Everything is resolved now and I have a different manager - Didier Debae is following my career now.

"It was just that we didn't sign an agreement with my manager and I decided to stop with him. I have more power to move forward and now I am here for the rest of the season."

Pantano insisted the problems were "nothing to do with Jordan" but rather between himself, his family and his management team and he also contradicted reports that it involved the payment plan that is in place for his drive.

"It was not a financial problem," he said. "It was a problem with other people, but now we have solved everything and now we are back. I am happy to come back - I did not really enjoy my time off!"

But Pantano has not got the all clear just yet and he admitted that he will be going under the surgeon's knife before next month's French Grand Prix.

The enthusiastic Italian twisted and broke the meniscus in his right knee during a charity football match with some of his fellow Grand Prix drivers before the Monaco Grand Prix last month (May).

And he revealed: "After this race, when I go back to Italy, I have to have an operation and then I think we will have fixed the problem. But it will still take a bit of time to get back to where it was before it was broken."