The 2023 season of Formula 1 racing brings another 23-race season. If you want to get in on the F1 live stream action, this guide will show how to watch Formula 1 races for free.

Key Takeaways: Stream F1 Racing

• The 2023 Formula 1 races are scheduled to start on March 5 with the Gulf Air Bahrain Gran Prix. The 23 races will continue until the final race on Nov. 24 through Nov. 26.
• If you connect your VPN to an Austrian server, you can watch the F1 live stream completely free of charge on ServusTV. If you connect to a Belgium VPN server, you can watch Formula 1 races for free on RTBF (with French commentary).
• ExpressVPN is the best VPN to watch F1 live online, and you can use it for free with its 30-day money-back guarantee.

We’ll show you how to watch the Formula 1 practices, qualifiers and the main race for free, wherever you are.

Grand Prix Broadcast: How to Watch Formula 1 Live Stream

If you’re a U.S. Formula 1 fan, you’re in luck, since there are a bunch of channels to choose from. Formula 1 live streams are available on ABC and ESPN, as well as Sling and Hulu (read our comprehensive on how to watch ESPN to learn more). The official Formula 1 website also hosts paid live streams, but pricing differs from country to country.

Unfortunately, even if you subscribe to one of these paid services, you still won’t be able to watch the live stream if you’re abroad. However, if you’re in Austria, you’ve in luck. The Red Bull–owned ServusTV will be streaming the entire F1 season live for free.

Additionally, if you’re in Belgium, you can also stream Formula 1 races for free on RTBF, but it will come with French commentary.

You can also watch F1 races for free on Channel 4 in the U.K., on RTL Zwee in Luxembourg, and on RTS in Switzerland.

Luckily, you can use a VPN to watch all the races of the season from any corner of the world, and if you choose a VPN server in any of those countries, you can watch for free, too. If you want to watch the races on the official F1 website, you can go through a few countries to see which one gives you the best deal.

ExpressVPN and NordVPN will both do a good job here, and CyberGhost is a decent budget option. We’ll show you how to use them to stream Formula 1 live in a bit.

How to Watch Formula 1 Races for Free With a VPN

In the sports sector in particular, broadcasters and streaming platforms fiercely contest and protect their TV licenses against access from abroad via geoblocking.

With a virtual private network, however, you can redirect your data traffic via a VPN server in the country of your choice before accessing the streaming service. This essentially allows you to change your location virtually to avoid geoblocking.

Of the many VPNs we’ve tested here at Cloudwards, ExpressVPN has consistently impressed us with its speed and security. We’ll be using ExpressVPN in this demonstration, but the steps should be pretty much the same for any other VPN provider.

1. Download and Install the VPN of Your Choice

   In your browser, go to the ExpressVPN website and download the desktop app. Installing it is a quick and easy process, after which you just have to log in with your credentials.

   

2. Connect to a Server in the Country You Need

   Once you’re logged in, choose a server in either Austria (for ServusTV) or Belgium (RTBF).  Click on the big power button in the middle to connect to the server.

   

3. Watch F1 Worry-Free

   Now that you’re connected to the VPN, all you need to do is go to the streaming website you need and play the live stream.

   

The Best VPNs to Watch Formula 1 Online

There are more VPN providers on the market than Michael Schuhmacher has trophies. Fortunately, you don’t have to test every single one — we did the work for you. Our top three providers, ExpressVPN, NordVPN and CyberGhost, all have a few things in common:

• They let you surf securely and anonymously with unbreakable encryption.
• They keep no user records, thanks to a no-logs policy.
• They offer a money-back guarantee if you don’t like the service or change your mind.

Here’s a brief overview of each of the three services.

1. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN offers 166 server locations in 105 countries, compatibility with all devices and operating systems, and consistently high surfing speeds. This makes the premium provider perfect for F1 HD streaming. ExpressVPN costs $6.66 per month on the yearly subscription, plus you get three months free.

You can learn more about it in our detailed ExpressVPN review.

2. NordVPN

Not quite as fast over long distances but absolutely secure is our second-place finisher, NordVPN. The provider also has worldwide servers available and the speed is sufficient for streaming. If you’re willing to commit for 24 months, you’ll get solid performance at a low price of $3.48 per month.

For more info on our price-performance favorite, check out our NordVPN review.

3. CyberGhost

You can get excellent privacy surfing the web and avoid geoblocking for next to nothing with CyberGhost. The VPN provider is available in a three-year subscription for only $2.37 per month. You will have to accept a reduction in surfing speed, but a good internet connection usually compensates for that.

Check out our full CyberGhost review for more details.

The Problem With Free VPN Providers

Good VPN protection and HD streaming without spending a penny is almost impossible to come by. Many free VPNs more often than not turn out to be scams that collect your data (yes, even the ones that pinky-swear not to).

The ones that won’t sell your data are few and far between, but even they have limitations. Namely, they usually come with a very low data cap, their speeds are disappointing and they almost always get detected by streaming platforms, so you can’t use them to watch F1 races online.

There are only a few good free VPNs we’d recommend, but they all come with limitations to encourage you to subscribe to the paid versions.

The Best Free VPNs for Formula 1 Racing

Proton VPN is the best free VPN because it comes with unlimited data, but it comes with only three VPN server locations, and none of them are options for watching the F1 races for free — you’ll have to use the paid service for the Formula 1 races. (Read our full Proton VPN review for more information about the service.)

Windscribe is the runner-up free VPN option, but it also comes with limitations. You’re capped to 10GB of data per month, and you can use only 11 free VPN server locations: U.S., U.K., Canada, France, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, Norway, and Romania. (Read our full Windscribe review for more details.)

TunnelBear is another good choice that’s been thoroughly vetted. It also allows you to access all its server locations. However, it won’t serve you too well for streaming, as you’ll be capped at 500MB per month. (Read our full TunnelBear review.)

However, all of the premium VPNs we suggested above come with a 30-day money-back guarantee. You can use this refund guarantee to use the VPN for free.

When Are the Next Formula 1 Races & Dates?

If you want to follow all the races live and in color, you don’t really need to keep track of the whole calendar. This year, the races all follow the same pattern.

1. Free practice: FP1 Friday, FP2 Friday, FP3 Saturday (60 minutes each)
2. Qualifiers: Saturday
3. Main Race: Sunday 

Here are the exact dates and start times for all 23 races for the 2023 Formula 1 season.

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re an American abroad trying to watch the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, or you’re just trying to get a better deal on an F1TV subscription, VPNs have you covered. You can even watch the races online for free if you choose a server in the right country. ExpressVPN is the best VPN for enjoying the F1 live stream.

Was our guide helpful? Who’s your favorite to win Sunday’s Grand Prix? Let us know in the comments below. As always, thank you for reading.

FAQ

• How to Watch ESPN F1 Live Streaming Free?

  ESPN offers a free trial, so if you want to watch the F1 live stream completely for free, you can also use a VPN’s 30-day money-back guarantee and watch Formula 1 racing without paying a dime.

• Where Can I Watch Full F1 Races?

  That depends on where you’re from. U.S. viewers can watch full F1 races on ABC, ESPN, Sling and Hulu. If you use a VPN, you can watch Formula 1 races for free with Austria’s ServusTV or Belgium’s RTBF.

• Can You Watch F1 Live Online?

  Yes, but it depends on where you’re located. Austrian viewers, and anyone with a VPN, can stream F1 races live online for free via Servus TV.