F1 Live Stream: How to Watch the Formula One Racing Season Online
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Formula 1 is the worldwide gold standard of racing, but figuring out how to watch F1 online can be as tricky as an outside overtake. Luckily, there are several ways to watch F1 online if you’re a cord-cutter, and even a couple of ways to watch F1 live streams for free.
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Whether you’re just getting into F1 (maybe because you watched the fantastic Netflix docu-series, Drive to Survive) or you’re looking for a better service to live stream races, read on for the best ways to watch F1 online.
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.
ExpressVPN
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 its 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, first 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.
ExpressVPN
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 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 on TV
Most F1 races are shown on ESPN, but five (Miami, Monaco, Canada, United States, and Mexico) are shown on ABC and another five (Emilia Romagna, Britain, Japan, Qatar, and Brazil) are shown on ESPN 2. So, to watch all of the F1 races on TV, you’ll need ESPN, ABC, and ESPN 2 in your cable or satellite package.
How to Watch F1 Online: Live Streaming and On-Demand
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.
1. Watch F1 on SlingTV
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. Better still, Sling is currently running a deal for new customers, offering half off your first month’s bill. That brings your first payment down to just $30.
Sling Orange + Blue includes a total of 48 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.
Sling Orange Subscription
2. Watch F1 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 $9.99, or an annual cost of $79.99 for your first year. Better yet, both subscription options start with a seven-day free trial.
Free Trial
3. Watch F1 on DirecTV Stream
A subscription to DirecTV Stream gets you access to every channel showing F1 races this year (ESPN, ESPN 2, and ABC). Plus, you get unlimited cloud DVR storage, which is great for recording early morning F1 practices and races. The service starts with a five-day free trial and then costs $69.99 a month after that.
Free Trial
4. Watch F1 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 $74.99 per month, but you get a seven-day free trial to start.
fuboTV Subscription
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. Below are a couple of ways to watch F1 online for free. These options let you live stream Formula 1 races on your laptop, TV, smartphone or tablet.
1. Watch F1 Online Free With fuboTV Free Trial
FuboTV is currently offering a seven-day free trial. The free trial is easy to cancel after seven days, making it a great way to watch F1 for free — if just for those seven days.
7-Day Free Trial
2. Watch F1 Online Free With DirecTV Stream Free Trial
Another way to watch F1 live streams for free is to take advantage of DirecTV Stream’s five-day free trial, which gets you free access to ESPN live streams. This comes in handy if you just want to watch one big race weekend, or if you’ve never watched F1 live and want to see if you like it.
5-Day Free Trail
Combine the fuboTV trial and the DirecTV Stream free trials and you’ll get 12 days of free Formula 1 live streaming in total. Use the trials to watch the next F1 race online free before choosing to continue with one of the monthly subscription F1 streaming options above.
F1 2023 Schedule
The 2023 F1 season is just starting up, kicking off with the Bahrain Grand Prix on March 3 through 5. Luckily, because F1 seasons are nearly year round (the last race isn’t untill late November), there’s no shortage of events. For the full F1 schedule, head to Formula1.com.
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.
Mercedes AMG F1 Team T-Shirt
This team Mercedes AMG T-shirt is a great way to rep one of the best F1 teams on the track. Officially licensed, the tee features sponsor logos on the chest and a large Petronas logo on the back.
Mercedes AMG F1 2023 Team T-Shirt
LEGO Technic McLaren Formula 1 Race Car
Technic is a LEGO sub-brand made for adults with more challenging builds and decor-worthy end results. This McLaren F1 car from Technic delivers both, comprising 1,432 pieces. Once finished, the complex build is a very realistic F1 replica with moving wheels, suspension, and pistons, as well as a functioning steering wheel.
LEGO Technic McLaren Formula 1 Race Car
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