Kimi Raikkonen says it was a straightforward decision to remain in Formula 1 for 2021 in the wake of confirmation that he will stay with Alfa Romeo.
Raikkonen, who earlier this month became Formula 1’s most experienced driver, linked up with Alfa Romeo on a two-year deal in 2019.
It came 18 years after his previous spell with the team – under its guise as Sauber – as a rookie and following stints at McLaren, Ferrari and Lotus.
Ahead of this weekend’s Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola Alfa Romeo confirmed an unchanged line-up of Raikkonen and Giovinazzi for 2021.
“We signed it yesterday, basically,” said Raikkonen on the deal. “You keep asking always about the future but if we haven’t signed anything, I wouldn’t start lying either way!
“I don’t think there was any difficulty, there are just many aspects from the team side and what I want to do.
“Obviously, there are other things in our lives you need to look into but, in the end, it made sense for my side and, obviously, for their side.
“Once we started to, let’s say, talk about it, it wasn’t such a long process, it was quite straightforward in the end.”
Raikkonen has scored only two points this year, his worst return in Formula 1, while Alfa Romeo is a low-key eighth in the Constructors’ Championship
“As a team, none of us is happy with where we are, but this is the situation right now and the aim is to improve, be a lot better, but there are no guarantees or anything,” he said.
“We just have to do a better job overall and hopefully next year we’ll be a bit happier with things.”
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