Dennis Unconcerned by Montoya Rumours

"There is an understandable view that the discipline we focus on our team extends to the drivers' private lives," Dennis told reporters after qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix.

"It doesn't. Our drivers are characteristic of all drivers in that they are free-spirited and they explore the enjoyment of driving a Grand Prix car.

"At the end of the day you don't want to constrain that free spirit and we don't."

Dennis' comments come after Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya was forced to skip this weekend's Bahrain Grand Prix due to an injury caused while he was playing tennis, according to his team.

However, the Bahrain Grand Prix paddock was rife with rumours suggesting Montoya's injury was caused after falling off a motocross bike.

"Juan Pablo told us it was tennis," Dennis said. "I don't care - that's what we were told. If he hasn't told the truth, he hasn't told the truth.

"I don't care if he slipped in the bath and hit his head or he was jumping double-decker buses. He is free to do what he wants to do, we place no restriction on our drivers and we never had done."

Montoya has been replaced in Bahrain by Spaniard Pedro de la Rosa.

McLaren said they were confident the Colombian will be back in action for the San Marino Grand Prix, but his comeback will depend on the result of further tests.

"The injury has been carefully analysed by our specialists," Dennis added. "It is a hairline crack but the pain isn't coming for the hairline crack, it is coming from an inflammation where his joints have been separated.

"It is the pain from the inflammation that has kept him from driving this weekend, not the hairline crack. The crack itself is in an area of high circulation, which normally means there is a good healing rate.

"We won't know until more scans take place in a couple of weeks how the healing process has gone but similar injuries of this nature suggest he will be out for two to three weeks and that's our view."