1997 Formula 1 champion Jacques Villeneuve has admitted that the new 2026 regulations are fun, but he “would have hated it”.
The 2026 regulations have been met with a mixed response from fans and drivers after the first two rounds of the season. The changes include an almost 50:50 split between internal combustion and electric power, active aerodynamics and smaller, lighter cars.
“It’s different racing, but it’s fun. So what do you want? You want a good show? We’re having a good show,” Villeneuve told Sky Sports Germany after the Chinese Grand Prix, which saw Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli secure his first F1 grand prix win and Lewis Hamilton his first podium with Ferrari.
When asked why he likes the new regulations, Villeneuve was quick to set the record straight.
“Hold on. Hold on. If you asked a pure racer, like when we were racing, I think we both [he and Ralf Schumacher] would have hated it,” he added.
“We got into racing, and it was rough and tough, and this is different. It’s a different skill set. You still see the better ones at the front.
“It’s been fun because it’s new, so we don’t know what to expect. But if we have 10 races of exactly the same thing, at some point it will become redundant.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Photo by: Lintao Zhang / LAT Images via Getty Images
“The difference when they deploy the energy or not is huge. Right now, it’s fun. Let’s see how it evolves.”
After two rounds of the season, which have included a sprint race in China, Mercedes leads the constructors’ championship with 98 points over Ferrari in second with 67 points.
McLaren sits third with just 18 points after a disastrous start to the season, which saw Oscar Piastri crash on the reconnaissance lap in Australia and both Piastri and Lando Norris fail to start the Chinese Grand Prix.
There is now an almost two-week wait until the Japanese Grand Prix.
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