F1 Live Stream 2021: Watch Formula 1 Online for Free

This year’s Formula 1 weekend is one of the most exciting to date. After a bumpy start to the 2020 season, things are getting spicy in 2021, with more motor races than ever before in F1 history.

This season also marks the debut of Mick Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel at Aston Martin in the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. We’ll help you find the best F1 live stream, so you don’t miss a beat.

Key Takeaways:

• The next Formula 1 race is scheduled for April 18 in Imola, Italy, with two or three races per month following for the rest of the year.
• U.S. viewers (or anyone with a U.S. IP address) can watch races live on ABC, ESPN, Sling and Hulu.
• If you connect your VPN to an Austrian server, you can watch the races completely free of charge on Servus TV.
• ExpressVPN is the best VPN to watch F1 live online.

Do you want to find out if anyone can unseat Lewis Hamilton? Whether you’re trying to watch F1 on TV or you need to stream it abroad, we’ll show you how to watch the qualifiers and the main race live, wherever you are.

• 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.

• 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.

• Can You Watch Formula 1 on Amazon Prime?

  No, but hopefully soon, as F1 is in the process of “advanced talks” with Amazon to bring the races to the streaming platform.

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. 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 hit the Formula 1 jackpot. The Red Bull–owned Servus TV and broadcaster ORF will be streaming the entire F1 season live for free.

Luckily, you can use a VPN to watch all the races of the season from any corner of the world, and if you choose an Austrian server, 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.

F1 Live With VPN: How-to Guide to Formula 1 Live Streaming

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.

We’ve tested hundreds of VPNs here at Cloudwards, and 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. Trust us, you’ll be streaming the races faster than Lewis Hamilton drove the first lap in his Mercedes.

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, click on the big power button in the middle to connect to the nearest server. If you want to choose a server in a different country, click on the “selected location” button and choose a server from the menu.

   

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.

   

Which server you connect to depends on which Formula 1 live stream you want to watch. For example, if you already have an ESPN subscription, you’ll want to connect to a U.S. server. On the other hand, if you want a free live stream, you can choose an Austrian server and watch on ServusTV.

The Best VPNs to Watch F1 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: The One VPN to Rule Them All

ExpressVPN offers 160 server locations in 94 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: Excellent Performance at a Low Price

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 $3.71 per month.

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

3. CyberGhost: VPN on a Dime

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 $2.25 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. 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.

The only free VPN we’d recommend using is Windscribe, which can at least access Netflix. TunnelBear is another good choice that’s been thoroughly vetted, though it won’t serve you too well for streaming.

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 2021 F1 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.

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.