Jacques Villeneuve gives verdict on 2026 F1 regulations: "Depends if you ask the racer or the race fan"

Jacques Villeneuve says Formula 1’s new 2026 regulations have created an exciting new kind of racing

1997 Formula 1 champion Jacques Villeneuve shared his verdict on the new regulations of the series ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix.

The 2026 season welcomed a new wave of regulations to F1, which feature major changes, including a power unit with an almost 50:50 split between internal combustion and electric power, active aerodynamics, overtake mode, and smaller, lighter cars.

The regulations received a mixed response from fans and drivers following the season-opening Australian Grand Prix. While it is early in the year, Villeneuve shared his early verdict on the changes.

"It depends if you ask the racer or the race fan who wants to see a good show," the Canadian told Sky Sports F1 in Shanghai.

"Ultimately, we had a good race in Melbourne and that's what we want to see where the best driver will still find a way to be better with the ruleset.

"What we saw is that it wasn't down to driving necessarily, it was how they were using that energy and it was a very good fight between Leclerc and Russell. A new set of skills and it was exciting to watch."

Mercedes has so far come out on top. The Brackley outfit successfully converted a 1-2 start at the Australian Grand Prix into a 1-2 finish with George Russell taking the first win of the year, despite an initial battle with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc.

George Russell, Mercedes, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Photo by: Joe Portlock / Getty Images

The strong form from Mercedes has continued into the Chinese Grand Prix weekend, with Russell claiming pole position for the sprint race and his team-mate Kimi Antonelli starting beside him in second. McLaren's Lando Norris, Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton and Norris's team-mate Oscar Piastri round out the top five.

"The car has been feeling amazing," Russell said. "We knew after Melbourne we had a really good car, the engine is performing really well, and today it was a real joy to drive.

"I'm intrigued to know what the lap times are compared to last year because it felt very quick, really cool, and very different to Melbourne."