F1 Live Stream: Watch Formula 1 Online for Free

Key Takeaways: Stream F1 Racing

1. Grab a subscription at a 73% discount from NordVPN’s website.
2. Connect to a server in Austria or Belgium.
3. Go to ServusTV (Austria) or RTBF (Belgium) and stream F1 races.

Best VPNs for Streaming Formula 1 Races:

1. NordVPN — Top-tier VPN with uncompromising performance. Sign up now to get 73% off the first two years.
2. Surfshark — Affordable protection for the whole family. Surfshark offers 86% off on the first two years for new users.
3. ExpressVPN — Hassle-free VPN with advanced capabilities. ExpressVPN is available at a 49% discount and offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.

What to Know About Formula 1:

• 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).
• NordVPN is the best VPN to watch F1 live online, and you can use it for free with its 30-day money-back guarantee.

Best VPN for Streaming Formula 1

www.nordvpn.com

$3.09 / month

(save 76%) (All Plans)

Visit NordVPNReview

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.

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’re 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.

NordVPN and Surfshark will both do a good job here. 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, NordVPN has consistently impressed us with its speed and security. We’ll be using NordVPN in this demonstration, but the steps are similar for any other VPN provider.

1. Sign Up for a VPN

   In your browser, go to the NordVPN website and sign up for a plan. The two-yea plan is the best value and there’s a 30-day money-back guarantee to fall back on.

   

2. Download and Install the App

   Download and install the VPN app on your device. Then, open the app and log in.

   

3. Connect to an Austrian or Belgium Server and Watch F1 Worry-Free

   Choose a server in either Austria (for ServusTV) or Belgium (RTBF).  Click on the server to connect. Click the connect button if it doesn’t automatically connect. Now you can stream Formula 1 on your chosen platform.

   

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, NordVPN, Surfshark and ExpressVPN, 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. NordVPN — Best Formula 1 VPN

Best VPN for Streaming Formula 1

www.nordvpn.com

$3.09 / month

(save 76%) (All Plans)

Visit NordVPNReview

Pros

• Extensive security features
• User-friendly desktop UI
• Fast download speeds

Cons

• macOS lacks split tunneling
• Few servers in Africa
• High latency on distant servers

Stream without limits — join NordVPN now and get 73% off plus a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Download

89 Mbps
Very Fast

Upload

9 Mbps
Very Fast

Latency

7 ms
Very Fast

Source: Cloudwards VPN Speed Test. We test daily. Data from 09/07/24 to 10/05/24

Data for region: AllUSUKAUBRSASG

NordVPN is our favorite VPN and it has the fastest available speeds. The provider also has worldwide servers available and it can easily access streaming platforms. If you’re willing to commit for 24 months, you’ll get solid performance at a low price of $3.09 per month.

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

30-days money-back guarantee

Basic

• *The prices are charged in the first billing cycle only. Renewal prices vary.
• Unlimited GB
• 10
• Yes

1-month plan, 1-year plan

1-month plan

$12.99/month

1-year plan

$4.99/month

$59.88 billed every year

Save 61%

2-year plan + 3 months

$3.09/month

$83.43 billed every 2 years

Save 76%

Plus

• *The prices are charged in the first billing cycle only. Renewal prices vary.
• Unlimited GB
• 10
• Yes

1-month plan, 1-year plan

1-month plan

$13.99/month

1-year plan

$5.99/month

$71.88 billed every year

Save 57%

2-year plan + 3 months

$3.99/month

$107.73 billed every 2 years

Save 71%

Ultimate

• *The prices are charged in the first billing cycle only. Renewal prices vary.
• Unlimited GB
• 10
• Yes

1-month plan, 1-year plan

1-month plan

$15.99/month

1-year plan

$7.99/month

$95.88 billed every year

Save 50%

2-year plan + 3 months

$5.99/month

$161.73 billed every 2 years

Save 62%

2. Surfshark — Best Cheap VPN for Formula 1

surfshark.com

$2.19 / month

(save 85%) (All Plans)

Visit SurfsharkReview

Pros

• Strong security suite options
• Solid security
• Excellent speeds

Cons

• Site may collect your real IP
• High latency on close servers
• No Mac/iOS split tunneling

Bypass content blocks and save 86% — subscribe to Surfshark’s best deal today.

Download

96 Mbps
Very Fast

Upload

9 Mbps
Very Fast

Latency

110 ms
Good

Source: Cloudwards VPN Speed Test. We test daily. Data from 09/07/24 to 10/05/24

Data for region: AllUSUKAUBRSASG

30-days money-back guarantee

Surfshark Starter

• Unlimited GB bandwidth, Unlimited devices, Secure VPN, Ad blocker, Cookie pop-up blocker. Plans renew: $231.75 for one year, $417.15 for two years
• Unlimited GB
• Unlimited
• Yes

1-month plan, 15-months plan

1-month plan

$15.45/month

15-months plan

$2.99/month

$44.85 billed first 15 months and 12 months thereafter

Save 80%

2-year plan + 3 months

$2.19/month

$59.13 billed every 2 years

Save 85%

Surfshark One

• Everything in Starter, plus Antivirus protection, Identity protection, Email Breach and Credit Card Alerts, Online Alias Plans renew: $239.25 for one year, $430.65 for two years.
• Unlimited GB
• Unlimited

1-month plan, 15-months plan

1-month plan

$15.95/month

15-months plan

$3.39/month

$50.85 billed first 15 months and 12 months thereafter

Save 78%

2-year plan + 3 months

$2.69/month

$72.63 billed every 2 years

Save 83%

Surfshark One+

• Everything in One, plus Data removal Plans renew: $269.25 for one year, $404.65 for two years
• Unlimited GB
• Unlimited

1-month plan, 15-months plan

1-month plan

$17.95/month

15-months plan

$6.09/month

$91.35 billed first 15 months and 12 months thereafter

Save 66%

2-year plan + 3 months

$4.29/month

$115.83 billed every 2 years

Save 76%

3. ExpressVPN — Best User-Friendly VPN for Formula 1

www.expressvpn.com

$6.66 / month

(save 48%) (All Plans)

Visit ExpressVPNReview

Pros

• Extensive server network
• Very fast speeds
• Unblocks all streaming services

Cons

• Expensive
• No anonymous payment methods
• Owned by Kape Technologies

Expand your streaming library — sign up for ExpressVPN and enjoy 49% off your first year.

Download

91 Mbps
Very Fast

Upload

9 Mbps
Very Fast

Latency

5 ms
Very Fast

Source: Cloudwards VPN Speed Test. We test daily. Data from 09/07/24 to 10/05/24

Data for region: AllUSUKAUBRSASG

ExpressVPN Plans

• Unlimited GB
• 8
• Yes

30-days money-back guarantee

1-month plan, 6-months plan

1-month plan

$12.95/month

6-months plan

$9.99/month

$59.94 billed every 6 month

Save 22%

15-months plan

$6.66/month

$99.95 billed first 15 months and 12 months thereafter

Save 48%

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

PrivadoVPN is the best free VPN for streaming Formula 1 because it offers free servers in 10 countries, including the U.S. and Switzerland that can help you access Formula 1 streams. It also has fast speeds to ensure lag-free streams, though it has a cap of 10GB monthly. Learn more in our PrivadoVPN review.

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. 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.

NordVPN is the best VPN for enjoying the F1 live stream. With NordVPN’s risk-free 30-day refund period, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain by giving the service a try.

Was our guide helpful? Who’s your favorite to win Sunday’s Grand Prix? Let us know in the comments below. If you’re a fan of the Formula E World Championship, check out our guide on how to watch Formula E for free. As always, thank you for reading.

FAQ: Stream F1 Races

• 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.