Not sure how to watch F1 for free online for the 2023 season? It can be tricky to find a good Formula 1 stream. Some providers offer clips, while other services only cover some races and not others.
It would be a shame to miss out on the races, especially with the Dutch GP around the corner. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who leads the driver’s standings, will look to put on a show in his home Grand Prix on August 27.
The biggest issue with finding a streaming platform to watch F1 is geo-restrictions. However, you can still watch Formula 1 and live stream every 2023 F1 Grand Prix race season no matter where you are with a VPN (virtual private network). A VPN will change your IP address and virtual location.
We’ve tested dozens of VPN providers and Surfshark came out on top for streaming F1. Here’s how to use Surfshark to stream any 2023 F1 Grand Prix:
Surfshark
Want more free live F1 streams? Need English-language commentaries? We’ll show you more streaming options and explain how this all works in the article below. Read on and make sure you don’t miss out on the Dutch GP this weekend!
The 2023 Formula 1 season is one of the most thrilling sporting spectacles. But what if it’s not streaming in your country? Or what if it’s way too expensive? In some regions, you can pay upwards of $50/month to access a streaming site for F1 races. So, if you can’t find where to watch F1 for free (and how), you’ll miss out on the highest level of open-cockpit action.
But don’t worry. We have you covered. Fans in some countries can watch F1 live streams online for free — Switzerland, Luxembourg, and Belgium, for example. And even if you don’t live in these countries, you can use a VPN like Surfshark to change your IP address to one from Luxembourg or Belgium.
Find out more about how to watch F1 for free wherever you are in our comprehensive guide below.
Best Free F1 Live Streams (2023)
You can watch F1 for free on RTL Zwee in Luxembourg or Servus TV in Austria. But if you don’t live in Luxembourg or Austria, you won’t be able to access the stream.
This is where a good VPN comes in. With a couple of clicks, you can connect to websites in any country you like. VPNOverview has found and tested a carload of free streams that work with a VPN. Our findings are in the table below.
| COUNTRY | ONLINE BROADCASTER | STREAMS | REQUIREMENTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luxembourg (Recommended) | RTL ZWEE | Live coverage of all the races | None |
| Belgium | RTBF | Live coverage of all the races | Email, name, birthday, Belgian postcode |
| Brazil | Band | Live coverage of all the races | Email, name, birthday |
| Austria | Servus TV | Limited live streams and replays | None |
| Switzerland | Play SRF | Limited live streams and replays | None |
| Albania | RTSH | Limited live streams | None |
| United Kingdom | Channel 4 | Highlights | Email, name, and UK address |
| United States | Sling TV YouTube TV DIRECTV STREAM FuboTV | Live coverage of all the races | Subscription (Free Trials) |
How to Watch F1 for Free: the Dutch GP through Abu Dhabi
We’re willing to bet that you’re not reading this from Luxembourg, where F1 streams are free. So in order to access geo-restricted content, you’ll need to change your IP address to the country you want to live stream from using a VPN.
To watch Formula 1 racing for free with RTL Zwee, follow the step-by-step guide below:
Note:
Not all streaming services allow VPN use. Check your user agreement before attempting this guide.
- Get a premium VPN. We’ve tested more than 70 VPN providers, and Surfshark leads the pack when it comes to streaming Formula 1 Grand Prix races.
- Download and install the VPN software on your device. Most VPN providers support a lot of devices.
- Open the app and log in. Use the credentials you created at sign-up.
- Choose a VPN server in the country where your live stream is based. Surfshark has 100 country locations to choose from, but you’ll need Luxembourg to watch RTL’s free F1 stream.
- Connect to Luxembourg. A few seconds after clicking, you will be connected to the VPN server. Keep the VPN running in the background.
- Go to the RTL Zwee F1 stream. Whether it’s the season’s next F1 live stream, the Dutch Grand Prix, on August 27th or the season closer in Abu Dhabi on November 26, just tune in on the day and time of the race.
Surfshark is our No.1 pick for streaming F1 on RTL Zwee because of its incredible speeds and reliable servers.
Pro Tip:
To access other streaming services, like Servus TV in Austria, RTBF in Belgium, or a free trial of FuboTV in the United States, just change your server to a corresponding country at Step 5.
You can also set up a VPN on other devices, like a smart TV. Unfortunately, devices like Android TV or Apple TV don’t support VPN apps natively. So you’ll need to jump through some more hoops to pull this off. Find out more in our guides on how to install a VPN on your smart TV or how to install a VPN on your router.
Formula 1 2023 Schedule
Now that you know exactly how and where to watch F1 for free wherever you are, check out all the races for the current 2023 F1 season. You can find F1 free streaming services everywhere, but you also need to know when to tune in.
We’ve already seen 13 incredible Formula 1 races in 2023. The table below includes the 10 remaining Grand Prix races with their current F1 2023 schedule dates.
| Date | Track Time | Event | Circuit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug. 27, 2023 | 15:00 | Dutch Grand Prix | Circuit Zandvoort |
| Sept. 3, 2023 | 15:00 | Italian Grand Prix | Autodromo Nazionale Monza |
| Sept. 17, 2023 | 20:00 | Singapore Grand Prix | Singapore Street Circuit |
| Sept. 24, 2023 | 14:00 | Japanese Grand Prix | Suzuka International Racing Course |
| Oct 8, 2023 | 20:00 | Qatar Grand Prix | Losail International Circuit |
| Oct 22, 2023 | 14:00 | United States Grand Prix | Circuit of The Americas |
| Oct 29, 2023 | 14:00 | Mexico City Grand Prix | Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez |
| Nov 5, 2023 | 14:00 | San Paulo Grand Prix | Autódromo José Carlos Pace |
| Nov 18, 2023 | 22:00 | Las Vegas Grand Prix | Las Vegas Street Circuit |
| Nov 26, 2023 | 17:00 | Abu Dhabi Grand Prix | Yas Marina Circuit |
Where to Watch F1 in the USA
Formula 1 fans have plenty of options on where to watch F1 in the USA. Since ESPN has broadcasting rights this year, you can use several TV streamers that carry the channel.
If you don’t know how to watch F1 in the USA, we recommend Sling TV. It’s one of the best live TV streaming services, and it’s pretty affordable. The Sling Orange plan from Sling TV has tons of sports streaming channels (including ESPN for 2023 F1) at around half the price of other TV streaming competitors. You can still use the following streaming services, of course:
- ESPN+
- FuboTV
- DirecTV Stream
- Hulu + Live TV
- YouTube TV
If you’re traveling outside the US and aren’t sure how to watch F1, you’ll need a VPN app like Surfshark to connect to these services and stream your favorite Formula 1 races.
How to Watch F1 in the UK
In the UK, Sky Sports has a tight grip on broadcasting rights for Formula 1. You’ll need Sky Sports F1 if you plan to watch any Formula 1 live stream in the UK.
Note that you can also catch highlights on Channel 4 online for free after any race. But for the full experience, you can only get F1 streams in the UK from Sky Sports.
Not happy with either of those options? Any motorsports fan can use free international streams like RTL Zwee and Servus TV to watch the entire season for free. And now that you know how to watch F1 in the UK for free, you can just get a Surfshark subscription and enjoy the race.
Where to Watch Formula 1 Internationally (F1 TV Pro)
F1 TV Pro is another solution for Formula 1 fans from all over the globe — it’s available in 89 countries and counting. F1 TV Pro lets you choose the camera angles you want and broadcasts the team radios directly to your device in real-time. You can also see who’s setting the fastest lap times or watch the live track map to see each racer’s position on the circuit.
Do note that subscription prices vary between $3.99 – $9.99 per month, depending on the country you’re in. However, you may be able to get cheaper prices if you use a VPN. By switching your VPN servers to India, Mexico, or other countries, you can save money on subscriptions through a VPN provider and not just for F1!
The Best VPN Providers for Streaming Formula 1 in 2023
If you are wondering how to watch F1 for free this year and are looking for a good VPN, you need a provider with a lot of servers. The more servers available, the higher the chance you will find a country with a free F1 stream. The VPN’s speed is also really important. If you get a slow VPN, you won’t be able to enjoy F1 streaming without buffering and lag.
Luckily, you don’t need to research all the popular VPNs to figure out your best pick. We did the research for you. After numerous rounds of testing, here are the top three best Formula 1 VPNs.
1. Surfshark for F1: Fast and furious
Surfshark is recommended for: Formula 1 Fans looking for fast streaming on a budget.
If you need a VPN with comprehensive streaming features, look no further than Surfshark. This service is ideal if you have little experience with VPNs. We found its app very user-friendly and easy to install. In addition, Surfshark has servers in countries where other providers do not.
When we tested our free Formula 1 streams, Surfshark had every country covered. From Austria to Albania, Luxembourg to Italy, Surshark’s servers had F1 racing ripping at full speed. This is much more than you’d get out of free VPNs. They usually have a limited server network and slow speeds. By comparison, Surfshark is one of the fastest VPNs available and very well-suited if you’re into F1 streaming.
Why we picked Surfshark:
- Consistently fast connection speeds
- Affordable prices and great discounts
- Large server network, which makes it easy to access any streaming service
- Easy to use, especially for beginners
And with its 30-day money-back guarantee, you can test Surfshark and watch Formula 1 online without a commitment.
- Very user-friendly and works with Netflix and torrents
- 30-day money-back guarantee. No questions asked!
- Cheap with many extra options
2. NordVPN for F1: Gets you to the finish line at high speeds
NordVPN is recommended for: F1 fans that want consistent speeds and reliable servers when watching the upcoming grand prix.
NordVPN is one of the best VPNs around today. When we tested this VPN provider, it had the fastest servers and dependable connections every time. As a result, streaming live-action sports was smooth for us without a lot of buffering or lag. NordVPN has the servers you’ll need to stream F1 for free, including Luxembourg, Belgium, and Austria. Plus, its performance is much better than that of free VPNs.
Why we picked NordVPN:
- Best speed test results out of all VPNs, so you can watch F1 without lag
- Easy to install and use
- Reliable servers in Luxembourg, Belgium, and Austria
- Military-grade encryption
If you need a trustworthy VPN with a 30-day money-back guarantee, NordVPN is a great pick.
- Fast and large worldwide network of VPN servers
- Perfect for privacy and streaming
- Trusted by many, with over 14 million users
3. Private Internet Access (PIA) for F1: The veteran VPN racer
PIA is recommended for: People that value privacy and a large server network to unblock any streaming service.
Private Internet Access is another top VPN provider that can help you in your quest on how to stream F1 for free. PIA has been around for more than a decade, and it’s one of the most consistent VPN services available right now. When testing PIA, we were pleased to see that it does not keep logs and offers strong encryption. We also noticed that it has special servers for both streaming and P2P traffic.
Why we picked PIA:
- Largest server network, including locations in Luxembourg, Austria, and Belgium
- Robust security infrastructure
- Decent speed test results, enough to watch F1 races without a hitch
Like both other entries on this list, you can try PIA 30 days for free through its money-back guarantee.
- Strong focus on privacy and security
- Good price
- Fast and stable servers
Do I Need a VPN to Watch F1 Races?
If you live outside of countries where F1 streams for free, you need a VPN to watch F1 races. This will help you access free streams, like the one from Belgium. A VPN is also useful in these scenarios:
- You’re on vacation abroad or away on business but want to watch a Formula 1 broadcast from your home country (e.g., because of the commentary).
- You find yourself in a country where you don’t have the right TV package or where they don’t broadcast Formula 1 at all.
- You want to watch a free Formula 1 live stream you couldn’t access otherwise.
The reason you can’t access free streams everywhere is because of content distribution rights. For example, RTL Zwee only has the right to show F1 races in Luxembourg. If they’d want to stream it in the US, they’d need to pay extra for the licensing rights of Formula 1.
That’s also why visitors from other countries in the EU can’t access RTL Zwee. At least not without a VPN. But with a reliable provider like Surfshark, you can easily get around these geo-restrictions.
2023 Formula 1 Broadcasters
Not sure where to watch Formula 1 in your country? Below are all of the official F1 broadcasters worldwide for the 2023 season.
| COUNTRY | CHANNEL |
|---|---|
| AFRICA | SuperSport |
| ALBANIA | RTSH |
| ARGENTINA | FOX Sports |
| ARMENIA | Setanta Sports |
| AUSTRALIA | Fox Sports Channels Network Ten |
| AUSTRIA | Servus TV ORF Sky Sport F1 |
| AZERBAIJAN | Setanta Sports |
| BELARUS | Setanta Sports |
| BELGIUM | RTBF Telenet Play Sport Open |
| BOSNIA | Sport Klub |
| BRAZIL | Bandeirantes |
| BULGARIA | Diema Sport |
| CANADA | RDS RDS 2 TSN |
| CHINA | Great Sports Guangdong Sports CCTV |
| CROATIA | Sport Klub |
| CYPRUS | Cytavision |
| CZECH REPUBLIC | Sport 1 |
| DENMARK | TV3+ TV3 Sport |
| ESTONIA | Viaplay |
| FINLAND | V Sport |
| FRANCE | Canal+ Canal+ Sport C8 |
| GERMANY | Sky Sport F1 |
| GREECE | ANT 1 |
| HONG KONG | beIN Sports |
| HUNGARY | M4 Sport |
| IRELAND | Sky Sports F1 Channel 4 (UK) |
| INDIA | F1TV Pro |
| INDONESIA | beIN Sports |
| ISRAEL | Sport 5 |
| ITALY | Sky Sport F1 |
| JAPAN | Fuji TV Next |
| KOSOVO | Art Sport |
| LATIN AMERICA (Except Argentina and Mexico) | ESPN |
| LUXEMBOURG | RTL Sky Sport |
| MALAYSIA AND BRUNEI | beIN Sports |
| MALTA | Total Sports Network |
| MEXICO | FOX Sports Canal 5 |
| MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA | MBC Action Shahid (SSC) |
| MONTENEGRO | SportKlub |
| MYANMAR | Canal+ |
| NETHERLANDS | Viaplay NOS |
| NEW ZEALAND | Sky Sport |
| NORWAY | V Sport |
| PAPUA NEW GUINEA & PACIFIC ISLANDS | Digicel |
| PHILIPPINES | beIN Sports |
| POLAND | Viaplay |
| PORTUGAL | Sport TV |
| ROMANIA | Orange Sport Digisport Prima Sport |
| SERBIA | Sport Klub |
| SINGAPORE | Singtel StarHub |
| SLOVAKIA | Sport 1 |
| SLOVENIA | SportKlub |
| SOUTH KOREA | Coupang Play |
| SPAIN | Mediaset |
| SWEDEN | V Sport |
| SWITZERLAND | SRG SSR Canal + Canal + Sport Sky Sport F1 |
| THAILAND | beIN Sports |
| TURKEY | S Sport |
| UKRAINE | Setanta Ukraine |
| UNITED KINGDOM | Channel 4 Sky Sports F1 |
| USA | ABC ESPN channels |
| VIETNAM | K+ |
You will need a subscription for most of the broadcasters mentioned above. If you are not from the right region, it may also be difficult to sign up. This is because many broadcasters check where you live based on where your credit card or other payment method is registered.
F1 Teams and Drivers
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen has been dominating Formula 1 since the start of last season. And although the champ’s reign is solid, Lewis Hamilton has also been catching up in the past few races, setting the fastest lap time in the last Belgian Grand Prix. Here are the teams participating in the F1 right now:
- Red Bull Racing
- Mercedes
- Aston Martin
- Ferrari
- McLaren
- Alpine
- Williams
- Haas F1 Team
- Alfa Romeo
- AlphaTauri
Driver standings for the upcoming race
Fernando Alonso has had a good season, but the driver standings are still a bit top-heavy. Here they are, up to date.
| Driver | Car | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Max Verstappen | RED BULL RACING HONDA RBPT | 314 |
| Sergio Perez | RED BULL RACING HONDA RBPT | 189 |
| Fernando Alonso | ASTON MARTIN ARAMCO MERCEDES | 149 |
| Lewis Hamilton | MERCEDES | 148 |
| Charles Leclerc | FERRARI | 99 |
| George Russel | MERCEDES | 99 |
| Carlos Sainz | FERRARI | 92 |
| Lando Norris | MCLAREN MERCEDES | 69 |
| Lance Stroll | ASTON MARTIN ARAMCO MERCEDES | 47 |
| Esteban Ocon | ALPINE RENAULT | 35 |
| Oscar Piastri | MCLAREN MERCEDES | 34 |
| Pierre Gasly | ALPINE RENAULT | 22 |
| Alexander Albon | WILLIAMS MERCEDES | 11 |
| Nico Hulkenberg | HAAS FERRARI | 9 |
| Valtteri Bottas | ALFA ROMEO FERRARI | 5 |
| Zhou Guanyu | ALFA ROMEO FERRARI | 4 |
| Yuki Tsunoda | ALPHATAURI HONDA RBPT | 3 |
| Kevin Magnussen | HAAS FERRARI | 2 |
| Logan Sargeant | WILLIAMS MERCEDES | 0 |
| Nyck De Vries | ALPHATAURI HONDA RBPT | 0 |
| Daniel Ricciardo | ALPHATAURI HONDA RBPT | 0 |
Team standings for the upcoming race
Red Bull Racing has been dominating this season, which shows in their huge points lead. Here are all the team standings before the upcoming race.
| Team | Drivers | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Red Bull Racing | Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez | 503 |
| Mercedes | Lewis Hamilton, George Russel | 247 |
| Aston Martin | Lance Stroll, Fernando Alonso | 196 |
| Ferrari | Carlos Sainz, Charles Leclerc | 191 |
| McLaren | Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri | 103 |
| Alpine | Esteban Ocon, Pierre Gasly | 57 |
| Williams | Alexander Albon, Logan Sargeant | 11 |
| Haas F1 Team | Nico Hulkenberg, Kevin Magnussen | 11 |
| Alfa Romeo | Zhou Guanyu, Valtteri Bottas | 9 |
| AlphaTauri | Daniel Ricciardo, Yuki Tsunoda | 3 |
A Quick Summary: Live Streaming F1 Free in 2023
Formula 1 superfans wondering where to watch F1 for free and how to follow the action from anywhere this year can rest assured that they will not miss a race! Here’s how to watch all your favorite F1 races:
- Sign up for a VPN like Surfshark with servers around the globe.
- Connect to a server in Luxembourg.
- Visit RTL Zwee (Luxembourg) and choose the F1 race you want to watch.
Surfshark is our top pick to stream F1 races for free. The provider will change your IP address to one from Luxembourg and allow you to enjoy all the races free on RTL Zwee. Moreover, Surfshark is one of the fastest VPNs in the market and has an extensive network of 3,200 servers, so you can enjoy F1 streaming with no disruptions or lag.
Wondering how you can stream other popular sports? Check out our articles below:
- How to Watch 24 Hours of Le Mans For Free From Anywhere
- MotoGP Live Streaming Free: Best Free Live Streams
- How to Watch the Indy 500 From Anywhere
Got questions about streaming F1 races online? Click a question below for our answer.
Some broadcasters, like ESPN+ stream Formula 1 events online. We have a detailed list of broadcasters in our guide on how to watch Formula 1 online. Alternatively, you can also get a VPN and watch Formula 1 for free on RTL Zwee.
You can use a VPN to connect to RTL Zwee in Luxembourg, or RTBF in Belgium and stream all 23 races in the 2023 F1 season for free.
Surfshark has become the number one VPN for watching Formula 1 online. Since there are free streams based in Luxembourg and Belgium, it has the speeds and server network you’ll need to watch F1 live for free. Check out our guide on streaming F1 free and we’ll show you how.
There are a lot of places where you can watch F1 live events. If you’re looking for a quick and free option, you can try RTL Zwee, a streaming service from Luxembourg streams F1 events for free.
