Despite the fact that his new signing has been sidelined following a mishap on the tennis court, McLaren boss Ron Dennis says he refuses to be heavy handed about what his drivers get up to away from the track, at least as far as sport is concerned.

Talking to reporters at the Bahrain circuit today, Dennis said: "I want free-spirited, good racing drivers. I don't care if he fell in the bath, on the tennis court or did it jumping double-decker buses. He is free to do what he wants to do.

"When he's not driving he doesn't get paid, so surely that's the best incentive," he added.

Referring to rumours that the former WilliamsF1 star didn't injure himself playing tennis but riding one of his motocross bikes, Dennis smiled and said: "I expect he has a damn good reason and I'd like him to share it with me at some stage.

"I'll look at his face and I'll certainly know," he added, sounding like every naughty schoolboy's mother, "but I haven't seen his face since the accident."

Although there has been doubt as to whether the Colombian will be fit again in time for Imola, which is three weeks away, Dennis is confident. "We won't in fact know until more scans take place in a couple of weeks," said the Englishman. "But based on similar injuries of this nature we have every belief that he will be fit to drive at Imola.

"It's a hairline crack," he added, "but the pain is not coming from that but from an inflammation where it had a bit of joint separation. It's the pain that precluded him from driving this weekend and not the hairline crack. The crack itself is in an area of high blood circulation, which normally means the healing process is very quick.

"Just like football and tennis players who have similar injuries, we are using the same techniques to accelerate the healing process."