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Red Bull Formula 1 junior Dan Ticktum has hit back at comments from his Formula 3 European Championship rivals during the Zandvoort round.

Ticktum was criticised by Prema Powerteam racers Marcus Armstrong and Ralf Aron after the second race of the weekend having been caught up in incidents with the pair before he finished sixth after qualifying on pole.

Armstrong said Ticktum had not learned from their Hungaroring contact and Aron spoke of how pressuring Ticktum is key to making a move on him.

"I read their comments and I took pleasure in it," said Ticktum.

"The only way they think they can win is by playing pathetic little mind games, and I actually laughed.

"They're too busy focusing on me, which is good - we're focused on our job and we'll beat them."

Some within the Prema awning accused Ticktum of deliberately going off at the chicane in second qualifying after setting his double pole in order to bring gravel onto the track.

"That's rubbish," he retorted. "I didn't go off - that was Juri [Vips, his team-mate]."

Ticktum also lost a probable victory in the third race of the weekend to a jumped-start penalty, which the Motopark driver accepted was fair.

He rejoined last and, on a circuit where it is extremely difficult to pass, he retired one lap later to preserve his car and engine mileage.

With title rivals Armstrong and Aron also outside the points, Ticktum described the result as "damage limitation".

The outcome means that although he sits fourth in the standings, he is just 13 points from leader Armstrong, 12 adrift of Guan Yu Zhou and 8.5 behind Aron.