Pantano Fit to Race Despite Broken Meniscus

Italian Giorgio Pantano took part in the Thursday morning practice session for the Monaco Grand Prix despite spending most of the previous day in hospital after injuring himself in a drivers' football game on Tuesday.

Pantano, who joined the Jordan team at the start of the season, took part in the traditional pre-race football match but hobbled off during the game after twisting his right knee.

He appeared briefly in the paddock on Wednesday night, walking with a pronounced hobble, but was passed fit to race and was the first driver out in the opening practice session for Sunday's prestigious race.

"I injured my knee in the drivers' football match on Tuesday when I was running fast and stopped suddenly," said Pantano. "My knee just twisted and something went. I went to hospital and I was there for most of the day yesterday.

"I have broken the meniscus but thankfully it is not too bad. I am limping a bit but it did not hurt to drive today."

Pantano raced at Monaco last year in the Formula 3000 championship and has been looking forward to competing on circuits that he knows after the opening fly-away races of the year in Australia, Malaysia and Bahrain.

When the circus returned to Europe, however, he completed just six laps of the San Marino Grand Prix before his car suffered a hydraulics failure and he retired from the Spanish Grand Prix with a steering failure after 51 laps.