Kevin Magnussen says F1 'bad boy' reputation is a joke within Haas

Kevin Magnussen says that his reputation as a 'bad boy' among Formula 1 drivers has become a joke within the Haas team

Magnussen's aggressive tactics on track have caused controversy at times this year, and he famously told Nico Hulkenberg to "suck my balls" on live television after being criticised for a clash in the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Asked about the reputation he is developing, Magnussen replied: "I don't mind. A lot of drivers have complained about me, but this has perhaps created a little bit of a joke in the team.

"I wouldn't say I am the most popular driver among the drivers, but I don't need to be.

"What matters to me is the results and what the stewards say.

"This year I have only had one penalty from a driving incident, so it means I am not that bad."

Pushed on whether he had any driver friends in the paddock, he said: "In the paddock yes. But amongst the drivers I don't have friends at all.

"They are not my friends. It would never work to have a friendship, so I don't make any effort to make friends."

Magnussen has previously said he feels fairly immune to criticism from others, and added that deliberately steering clear of social media helped this.

"One of the things that I stopped doing a while ago is looking at social media," he said.

"As a public person you get a lot of mentions and messages, and it can be very frustrating to look at.

"So I stopped looking at it. It helped a lot because now I am a little bit oblivious to what people are saying about me.

"Of course I get the info in the end, if someone says something that was controversial or negative about me, you guys [the media] will tell me. But I really don't mind it so much.

"I am not aiming to be unpopular. I am aiming to get good results, and sometimes you need to stick your elbows out to get those results."