Raikkonen knew about one-year extension "for some time"

Kimi Raikkonen says that he knew he would be sticking with Ferrari "for some time" after the Maranello squad announced yesterday that the Finn would stay on for 2018. It will be Raikkonen's fifth consecutive year at Ferrari, and his eighth overall as he raced for the team from 2007 to 2009.

At the Hungarian Grand Prix, it became apparent that Raikkonen would be retained and put alongside Sebastian Vettel once again, who has been his teammate since 2015. The 2007 added that he still very much enjoys Formula 1.

"We started discussing it at a late stage and quickly agreed. It did not take long to think about it," Raikkonen said at a sponsor event in Helsinki. "I have known about it for some time but only now read it in the newspaper. I would not have signed it if I wasn't enjoying it and I didn't have a good cooperation with the team and the people."

"At this point it's good to take one season at a time," continued the 37-year-old. "It does not matter one way or another if there is another contract or not. I always try my best. Probably in a month's time they will begin speculating about the next one."

Raikkonen was also asked about the controversial 'Halo' safety innovation, which will be mandatory in 2018: "New rules and parts always seem very different but quickly they are forgotten about," he said. "The Halo is a good thing if it saves someone's life or stops something bad from happening."

Fergal Walsh