Jacques Villeneuve defends F1 2026 rules after ‘good race’ in Melbourne

From an entertainment point of view, the new F1 2026 regulations delivered in the first race weekend scenario, so says 1997 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve.

While admitting that energy management was the key skill to master in Melbourne, Villeneuve believes we saw a “good race” as George Russell and Charles Leclerc traded the early lead. While he fully understands the “purist” point of view, Villeneuve pointed to the now retired Drag Reduction System [DRS] in stating the defence for these new rules.

Jacques Villeneuve backs F1 2026 regulations after Melbourne race spectacle

Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trust.

Formula 1 is in Shanghai this weekend for Round 2 of the 2026 campaign, as teams and drivers continue to learn about this vastly different formula to the one left behind.

As anticipated, managing the battery has become a critical component to performance. This has not been well received among most of the drivers.

Reigning World Champion Lando Norris and Max Verstappen have emerged as the most vocal critics. The early title favourite, Russell, is keen to give it more time, while Lewis Hamilton has drifted into a more positive reflection on the new rules.

For Villeneuve, he raced in an era of screaming V10/V8 F1 engines. As a pundit, he has witnessed the introduction of hybrid engines, and the rise and fall of F1’s ground effect cars.

Now entering the second race of another new era for Formula 1, Villeneuve was asked for his opinion on these revamped regulations, while appearing on Sky F1 at the Chinese Grand Prix.

“It depends if you ask the racer, or the race fan that wants to see a good show,” Villeneuve responded.

“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.

“And then what we saw is it wasn’t down to driving necessarily. You still have qualy like it was in the past. It’s how they were using that energy, and it was a very good fight in between Leclerc and Russell, and how they were figuring it out as the race was going on.

“New set of skills, and it was fun to watch.”

Latest F1 2026 talking points from PlanetF1.com

Hamilton says Ferrari’s ‘Macarena’ wing ‘a little premature’ in Shanghai

Briatore: Alpine negotiations are with Mercedes, not Toto Wolff

But, it was put to Villeneuve that these rules go against the DNA of Formula 1, the purists will argue.

With this performance requirement to manage the battery, drivers need to lift and coast at certain points in a lap, including during qualifying, with super-clipping kicking in to juice up the battery.

“Well, as a purist, I would say, yes, definitely,” Villeneuve responded. “I still miss the days of the V10, when you really had to put the other driver under pressure, push him into making a mistake, to dive.”

Villeneuve adds: “But racing was also different. We didn’t use to block, and weave down the straight, so that’s changed.

“But then, was DRS pure racing? It wasn’t.”

Mercedes has made a dominant start to F1 2026 over one lap, though Ferrari demonstrated an ability to grow much more competitive in race trim at the Australian GP.

With Mercedes securing another front-row lockout for the China Sprint, all eyes are on Ferrari, and an improving McLaren, as to the level of competition which Mercedes will face in race trim this time around.

Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.

You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!

Read next: Toto Wolff points to ‘very different’ McLaren choice amid Mercedes power unit debate