Former McLaren chief Ron Dennis says he watches F1 races in silence as he can’t stand the “rubbish” the commentators come out with.

The long-time McLaren boss stepped away from F1 in 2016 and has been rarely seen in the paddock since then but has revealed he still watches the races at home.

Ron Dennis reveals ‘rubbish’ verdict of F1 commentators

When he left, there were few more experienced than Dennis who took over in 1981 and even after decades of service, he still takes an interest in the sport.

However, he does so in silence with the 77-year-old revealing he watches F1 races on mute to avoid the “rubbish” said by the commentators.

“I always turn the sound off,” he told the Times. “I know too much about it to want to listen to the rubbish that some of these commentators come out with. I watch for the purity of the race. I do love sport, still love watching grands prix,” he said.

“But I will never go back. You can imagine I’ve got children and grandchildren, and they’re pestering me about going. I will arrange it for them but I won’t go.

“The thing is, I witnessed people coming back to Formula 1 after they’d left. The thing is, your opinion is out of date, even if you’re a multiple world champion.

“People are polite, everything you’d expect them to be. They will sit you down, they will give you a coffee, but you’ve got nothing to offer. You are a spare part and I would never want to be in that position. I’ve got better things to do.

“I love my garden, even if I don’t spend much time working in it myself, but I am passionate about it, passionate about so many other things in my life.”

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Dennis lives in the UK, meaning his “rubbish” comment is likely directed at Sky Sports who have broadcast rights races for the country. However, the man with an estimated wealth of £450 million has never been tempted to leave the UK.

“No, I am a passionate Brit,” he said. “It would give you a good headline if I told you how much tax I’d paid in my life. I’m not going to because it would become the dominant thing in the story.

“I love our diverse weather. I have friends who tell me they are on a 90-day system, and they’re sleeping in beds in a variety of places, Switzerland, Monte Carlo, Jersey, Guernsey, everywhere. I say, ‘Why don’t you just pay the tax here?’”

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