Villeneuve happy with 'new' F1

Mar.10 - F1 purist Jacques Villeneuve says he is happy with what he is seeing at the Barcelona test.

The 1997 world champion was one of the fiercest critics of the former technical regulations, characterised by fuel saving, degrading tyres and low cornering speeds.

"What I've seen so far is simply great," the former Williams and Honda driver turned television pundit said in Barcelona.

"First of all, the cars look great. They're now big, proper formula one cars, just like they should be.

"But also how the tyres work is remarkable. Before, the drivers could not keep attacking but you can see they are finally able to drive aggressively without thinking so much about the rubber," Villeneuve added.

"This also means fewer pitstops, which doesn't please everybody, but generally less stops will make the sport more understandable," he continued.

"The drivers can also attack more in the corners without destroying the tyres, which should play into the hands of the best drivers."

The 45-year-old French Canadian also said it's good that the new tyres will make the drivers "sweat more" in 2017 as laptimes tumble and G-forces rise.

"You can see it already with the problems the new drivers are having," Villeneuve told Sky Italia.

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