Kimi Raikkꦇonen says it was a “qu📖ite straightforward” decision to extend his Formula 1 season and continue with Alfa Romeo for 2021.

The Finn, 41, is set to embark on a remarkable 𓆉19th F1 season next year alongside Antonio Giovinazzi, with Alfa Romeo opting to keep an unchan🐭ged driver line-up for the third successive season.

Raikkonen has already broken Rubens Barrichello’s record for most grꦡand prix starts this year and will continue to stretch that benchmark out further with up to 23 races expected on the 2021 calendar.

“I don’t think it was anything difficult,” Raikkonen explained. “We signed it yesterday. 💃You keep asking always about the future but if we haven’t signed anything, I wouldn’t start lying either way.

“There was many aspects from the team’s side, on what they want to do, and what I want to do, and obviously there’s other th꧂ings in a life that you need to lꦇook into.

“But in the end it made sense from my side and obviously for their side, and once we started to talk about it, it wasn’t such a long process. So it was quit🍰e straightforward in the end.”

Alfa Romeo has endured a difficult 2020 season and currently lies eighth in the constructors’ championship, h🐼aving been stuck towards the back of the grid battling the likes of H🌸aas and Williams.

Raikkonen, who has scored𒅌 two of Alfa Romeo’s five points so far this season, is hopeful of the team’s fortunes improving in 2021.

“As a team none of us are happy where we are but u𒁃nfortunately this is the situation right now and the aim is to improve and be a lot better off,” he added.

“But there is no guarantee on anything so we have to simply do a bette🐻r job overall and hopefully next year we’ll be a bit happier with things and be where we expect to be.”