Max Verstappen says he will “head-butt” the next reporter who asks about his crash-strewn start to the Formula One season.

At a press conference ahead of this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix, the Red Bull driver was asked about a series of incidents he has been involved in this season, the latest coming when he crashed during practice at the Monaco Grand Prix.

It was a line of questioning that exasperated Verstappen.

“I don’t know,” Verstappen said in response to a reporter who asked why he keeps getting into accidents. “But as I said at the start, I am tired of these questions and if I get any more I am going to head-butt someone.”

“I’m really tired of all the comments about me – that I should change my approach.

“I will never do that. It has brought me to where I am right now and after the race is not the right time to talk.”

“I don’t listen to it anyway. I just do my own thing.

“Of course it hasn’t being going that well in the way I like it. A few mistakes, especially Monaco and China, but it doesn’t make sense to keep talking about it.”

Verstappen, who has failed to finish in two of the six races this season with a best result of third in Spain last month, is sixth in the standings some 75 points behind leader Lewis Hamilton and with less than half the number of his Australian team-mate Daniel Ricciardo.

However, he’s expecting an upturn in his fortunes.

“I’m confident I can turn things around,” he said. “I’ve always been fast and the pace is there every single weekend.”