Kevin Magnussen has admitted that he underestimated the impact that poking fun at former employer McLaren's problems would have.

Last week, some of the Dane's fans on social media reacted angrily when he posted a meme depicting a three-wheeled Ferrari and the caption: "Still faster than a McLaren".

"I had forgotten to think that there are still McLaren fans who follow me. They were a little angrier than I had anticipated," the 23-year-old admitted to Ekstra Bladet newspaper in Shanghai ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix.

"I had just seen someone else post the picture and thought it was funny. I also thought it was funny because the Ferrari at the time was so ridiculously fast compared to all the other cars.

"But people thought only that I was scoffing at McLaren. It was not only that, but maybe it was not as funny as I thought it was."

Magnussen was dropped by the British team last year and now drives for Renault.