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Quick Answer: You can watch F1 online for free with a free trial from DirecTV Stream, or you can stream races for free through Belgium’s RTBF or Austria’s ServusTV if you have a VPN.
Formula 1 is back for another season, now headed to the Suzuka circuit for the 2024 Japanese Grand Prix.
Race day of the 2024 Japanese GP is happening this Sunday, April 7. Practice is on Friday and Saturday, and qualifying is on Saturday. Here in the U.S., the race is scheduled for Sunday 1 a.m. ET / Saturday 10 p.m. PT.
Read on for a full guide on how to watch F1 races online (including Australia), whether you’re tuning in with a U.S. streaming service or a VPN.
How to Watch F1 in the U.S.: Streaming and TV Channels
Most F1 races are shown on ESPN, but some are shown on ABC and others are shown on ESPN2. So, to watch all of the F1 races on TV, you’ll need ESPN, ABC, and ESPN 2 in your cable or satellite package.
No streaming service owns exclusive rights to F1, so there are several ways to watch F1 online. Below are a few streaming services that will let you watch F1 live streams on your smart devices, including Amazon Firesticks, Roku devices, and Smart TVs.
Editor’s Pick: DirecTV Stream
Most Affordable: F1 TV
Free Trial: fuboTV
Also Great: SlingTV
1. Watch F1 for Free on DirecTV Stream
A subscription to DirecTV Stream gets you access to ESPN and ESPN 2 to watch F1 races online this year. Plus, you get unlimited cloud DVR storage, which is great for recording early morning F1 practices and races. DirecTV Stream packages begin with a five-day free trial and start at $79.99 a month after the trial. Use that free trial to watch this weekend’s race without paying (just remember to cancel before the five-day trial is over).
2. Watch F1 for Free on F1 TV
For serious fans, F1 TV is a great way to watch F1 online. Besides F1 race live streams, the service brings a ton of data for each race including live timing, audio clips, and real-time telemetry. So, for example, you could keep up with stats using your tablet while watching the live race on another screen.
F1 TV is relatively affordable too with a monthly cost of $10.99, or an annual cost of $84.99 for your first year. Better yet, both subscription options start with a free trial for the Australian Grand Prix.
3. Watch F1 for Free on fuboTV
Another good live TV streaming service is fuboTV, which includes ESPN to watch F1 online. Fubo is known to have an extensive, sports-forward catalog of channels, so this is a great option in general for any sports fans. Subscriptions start at $79.99 per month, but you get a seven-day free trial to start.
1. Watch F1 on Sling
Sling TV is one of our favorite cord-cutter services — and one of the best ways to watch F1 online. The platform’s best subscription tier, Sling Orange + Blue, gets you access to ESPN, ESPN 2, and ABC for $60 a month, making it an easy way to watch F1 live streams online from any smart device.
Sling Orange + Blue includes a total of 46 popular channels, including FOX, TBS, and CNN, all in one package. Sling lets you watch F1 from your phone, laptop, tablet, or on your connected TV through the Sling TV app.
How to Watch F1 Online Free With a VPN
One of the best ways to watch F1 online for free is to get a virtual private network (VPN) like ExpressVPN or NordVPN, which will let you access free (legal) livestreams from Belgium’s RTBF or Austria’s ServusTV.
Buy ExpressVPN $12.95
If you’re unfamiliar, VPNs are services that change your streaming device’s virtual location, letting you access content that’s normally geo-blocked in your physical location. In other words, they “trick” your device into thinking it’s somewhere else. These services are easy to use, very safe (safer, in fact, than normal browsing), and great for getting free legal livestreams of sports, TV series, and movies.
To watch F1 online with a VPN, install a good one like ExpressVPN. It’s fast and easy to use once you add the service’s web browser extension. ExpressVPN costs $12.95 a month, or $8.32 a month if you pay for a year upfront. Subscriptions also come with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can get a full refund after 30 days if you don’t want to continue service.
Once you have a VPN set up, set your location to Belgium and watch free F1 livestreams on RTBF (French language commentary), or set your location to Austria and watch livestreams on ServusTV (German language commentary). Pro tip: You can get English commentary alongside the livestreams by listening to BBC’s Radio 5 while you watch.
How to Watch F1 Online Free
If you want to catch a big race without opening your wallet, you’re in luck: It is possible to stream F1 online for free, thanks to the free trials from DirecTV Stream, F1 TV, and fuboTV. The seven-day free trial from fuboTV, five-day trial from DirecTV Stream, and seven-day free trial from F1 TV will let you watch F1 for free for a full 19 days whether on your laptop, TV, smartphone, or tablet. Spread these out to watch up to three full race weekends for free, but remember to cancel any free trials before they’re over to avoid being charged.
F1 2024 Schedule
One of the great things about F1 is that it’s a year-round sport, so there’s no shortage of events. For the full F1 schedule, head to Formula1.com.
This weekend is the Japanese Grand Prix, which takes place at the Suzuka Circuit in Suzuka. Last year’s Japanese GP saw Red Bull’s Max Verstappen win.
Where to Buy F1 Tickets Online
What’s better than streaming F1 online? Seeing the racer in person.
If you’re looking to get tickets to F1 races, we recommend buying them on VividSeats.com. The trusted ticketing website often has the lowest prices for the races, whose tickets become more in demand every year.
Where to Buy F1 Merch Online
Want to cheer on your team with some authentic F1 gear? You’re in luck: There’s some fantastic F1 merch available online, including replica team gear, casual everyday clothing, and even F1 decor. Below are a couple of good pieces; head here for a full roundup of the best F1 merch to buy online.
