Jacques Villeneuve is a fan of 'new' F1

Jacques Villeneuve has given Formula 1 two thumbs up after checking out the 2017 during pre-season testing in Barcelona this week.

The 1997 world champion never minced his words when addressing the pitiful state of Grand Prix racing until this year's big changes.

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

"First of all, the cars look great. They're now big, proper F1 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 baffled by criticism of Stroll sponsor

Villeneuve's takeaway is that les degrading will lead to better battles and especially to more clarity for viewers and fans.

"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 lap times tumble and G-forces rise.

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

GALLERY: F1 drivers' wives and girlfriends

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter