How to Watch F1 from Any Country in 2026

Formula 1 is the most fragmented major sport in terms of broadcasting rights. Sky in the UK, ESPN in the US, Servus TV in Austria, RTL in Germany, RaiSport in Italy — every country has different broadcasters, different costs, different gaps.

The unified answer for international F1 viewers is F1TV Access or F1TV Pro. But it’s blacked out in some major markets. Here’s the complete guide.

The country-by-country reality

Countries with F1TV available:
– US, Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Brazil, Mexico, Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Switzerland, Argentina, Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, Portugal, Austria, and ~70 more

Countries WITHOUT F1TV (blacked out):
– UK (Sky has exclusive rights)
– Japan (Fuji TV)
– Some Asian markets (broadcast rights vary)

F1TV plans:

F1TV Access (~$30/year): Practice replays, race highlights, no live races. Largely useless.
F1TV Pro (~$80/year): Live races, all sessions, all driver onboards, multi-camera. This is what you want.

For ~$80/year, F1TV Pro is incredible value — every race, every session, multiple feeds, driver onboards, team radios, telemetry. The product is genuinely excellent.

What to do by location

You’re in a F1TV-supported country

Easy: subscribe to F1TV Pro. ~$80/year for the season. Watch via web, mobile app, or smart TV app.

Most countries get the international feed in English. Some have local language commentary. Some (e.g., Italy) have RaiSport overlapping coverage that you’d watch separately.

You’re in the UK (F1TV blacked out)

UK has the toughest F1 access story. Options:

Option 1: Sky Sports F1 (the official UK route)
– Now TV F1 Pass: £30/month
– Sky Sports subscription: £35+/month
– All live races, every session, expensive

Option 2: VPN to F1TV Pro (the alternative)
– Use a VPN to a F1TV-supported country (Netherlands, Germany, US work)
– Subscribe to F1TV Pro at that country’s rate
– Watch live races for ~$80/year

VPN choice for F1TV: NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Surfshark all work. NordVPN most reliable in our testing.

Option 3: Channel 4 free highlights (UK only)
– Channel 4 has Formula 1 highlights (not live) for free in the UK
– Better than nothing if budget is zero
– Quality: highlight package, not full races

Option 4: YouTube + F1 official channel
– F1’s YouTube channel posts highlights and qualifying recaps for free
– Not live, but free and legitimate

You’re in Japan

Japan has Fuji TV broadcasting, often subscription-based via cable. Or use VPN + F1TV Pro as in UK section.

You’re in Asia (other)

Depends heavily on country. Most non-Japan Asia gets some F1 coverage. Check local broadcasters first; fall back to F1TV Pro via VPN.

You’re in Africa

Limited official coverage. VPN + F1TV Pro is typically the best route.

The complete VPN-for-F1TV workflow

Step-by-step for UK viewers (and others in blocked countries):

Step 1: Pick a VPN

NordVPN, ExpressVPN, or Surfshark. ~$3-5/mo on 2-year plans.

Cheapest options as of 2026:

Netherlands: €79/year for F1TV Pro
France: €79/year
Argentina: Sometimes cheaper with FX advantage but payment can be tricky
US: $79/year, easy if you have any US payment method

Most reliable: Netherlands F1TV Pro signup via NordVPN’s Netherlands server.

Step 3: Get a payment method

For Netherlands F1TV: Wise card with EUR balance works. Revolut EUR works. Most EU credit cards work.

For US F1TV: US gift card or US-based payment method.

Connect VPN to your chosen country (e.g., NordVPN → Netherlands)
Private/incognito browser
f1tv.com → Subscribe → F1TV Pro annual
Use your country’s payment method
Complete signup

Step 5: Watch races

Connect VPN to your subscription country, open F1TV, watch.

If you’re a UK viewer using Netherlands F1TV, you’ll need the VPN on Netherlands during every race weekend. Make this routine.

F1TV vs Sky / Cable

Why F1TV is better than your local cable broadcaster (for most viewers):

All sessions: Free Practice 1/2/3, Qualifying, Sprint, Race — F1TV has all
All driver onboards: Live driver-camera feeds during the race
All team radios: Listen in on every team
Telemetry data: Speed, throttle, brake live overlay
Multi-camera: Pick your own director (most cable shows you the director’s choice)
No commercials during sessions: Cable cuts to ads; F1TV doesn’t
All sessions on-demand after: Watch replays from prior years

For die-hard fans, F1TV Pro is genuinely a better product than Sky Sports F1.

What about pirated streams?

Don’t. Free F1 streams (Reddit r/motorsports streams, etc.) work intermittently but:

Quality is often poor (480p, laggy)
Streams die mid-race
Some carry malware
F1 and rights holders aggressively shut them down
Ethically: you’re using content the producers don’t authorize

For ~$80/year via F1TV (with VPN if needed), there’s no reason to pirate F1.

Race weekend setup

Suggested workflow for a non-F1TV-country viewer:

Friday:
– 90 min before practice: connect VPN to F1TV-supported country
– Start F1TV, log in, queue Free Practice 1
– Watch practice

Saturday:
– Same VPN connection
– Watch FP2, FP3 if you want
– Watch Qualifying live

Sunday:
– VPN connected before race start
– Watch race with team radios + onboards (it’s a more engaging experience)

You can also use F1TV’s “Watch Multiple” feature to have main feed + a driver onboard playing simultaneously on tablet/second screen.

Live timing app

F1’s free Live Timing app is separate from F1TV. Worth installing — gives you sector times, position data, race history during races. Doesn’t require F1TV subscription.

Disclosure

We use affiliate links for NordVPN, ExpressVPN, Surfshark. F1TV doesn’t have a public affiliate program. We recommend F1TV Pro because it’s genuinely the best F1 product, not for commission. See our affiliate disclosure.

Using a VPN to circumvent F1TV’s regional blackout may violate F1’s terms. The most common consequence is account lockout. You’re responsible for understanding implications in your jurisdiction.

Last updated 2026 Q2.