F1 live stream: how to watch free online and on TV in 2022, Spanish Grand Prix, Practice

The 2022 F1 circus moves to Barcelona this weekend, for the 2022 Spanish Grand Prix (20th-22nd May). Practice starts at 1pm BST today, so strap yourself in for another epic showdown between Max Verstappen and championship leader Charles Leclerc. Fancy a free F1 live stream? Austrian viewers can stream every session free. Make sure you know how to watch a free F1 live stream from abroad with the help of a VPN while away from home.

The 2022 F1 calendar currently consists of 22 races after the Russia GP was cancelled. The Monaco Grand Prix is set for 29th May, while Abu Dhabi will provide the season finale on the 20th November 2022. With F1 on the rise in the States thanks to Netflix's Drive to Survive, Las Vegas will host a race in 2023.

Last season's chaotic championship battle came down to the last lap of the last race. Max Verstappen bagged his first world title after race director Michael Masi allowed certain lapped cars to pass. It wasn't a dead loss for Mercedes, though – the Silver Arrows scored their eighth Constructors title.

The 2022 F1 season brings us a 'revolutionary' new generation of cars and a mix of new and returning drivers. George Russell is thriving at Mercedes, alongside seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton; Kevin Magnussen is back at Haas and doing a sterling job; Chinese debutant Guanyu Zhou is driving alongside a rejuvenated Valtteri Bottas at Alfa Romeo, and Alex Albon is back in F1 at Williams.

Ready for more unmissable F1? Watching every race isn't cheap, especially if you're in a country with a paywall, but there are lots of free viewing options available this year.

Austrian fans can watch a free live stream. (Use a VPN to access the free live stream if you're overseas this week). We've listed all the ways to watch F1 with a VPN – and in HD from your TV, tablet and mobile – below.

How to watch a free F1 live stream

Lucky enough to live Luxembourg? You can get a free F1 live stream of every race on RTL Zwee.

You'll need to use a VPN to access local free F1 streams when abroad. We recommend ExpressVPN as it comes with a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.

And Austrians can watch every race live on either ServusTV or ORF.

British motorsport fans can see highlights of every race on Channel 4, as well as a free live stream of the British Grand Prix on 3rd July 2022.

US fans watch the American and Mexican Grand Prix free on ABC.

Watch an F1 live stream anywhere in the world using a VPN

Even if you have subscribed to the relevant 2022 F1 rights holders, you won't be able to access them when outside your own country. The service will know your location based on your IP address, and will automatically block your access.

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) helps you get around this obstacle. A VPN creates a private connection between your device and the internet, helping you access local streams from where you are – and saving you money!

Try ExpressVPN risk-free for 30 days
ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money back guarantee with its VPN service. You can use it to watch on your mobile, tablet, laptop, TV, games console and more. There's 24/7 customer support and three months free when you sign-up. Try it – you'll be surprised how simple it is.

How to use a VPN

Using a VPN is incredibly simple.

1. Install the VPN of your choice. ExpressVPN is the one we recommend.

2. Open up the VPN app and choose the location of the service you wish to access. For the F1, you may wish to choose 'Luxembourg' for RTL Zwee.

3. Then head over to RTL Zwee on your browser or device and enjoy the free F1 live stream.

If, for whatever reason, you can't get it working, do remember that you have the comfort of a 30-day money back guarantee with ExpressVPN. You could also try NordVPN, which also comes with a 30-day money back guarantee, and Surfshark which offers 24 hour assistance.

How to watch F1 in 4K

Sky has the UK television rights to show F1 until the end of 2024. To watch in 4K Ultra HD, you’ll need a Sky Q box or Sky Glass TV and a package with Ultra HD and Sky Sports F1. 

And just this week, Sky has confirmed that F1 will be broadcast in 4K HDR for the first time this weekend.

Check out today's best Sky TV deals if you want to watch F1 live and in 4K UHD.

How to stream F1 in Full HD with Dolby 5.1

Don't want to commit to a Sky contract? Anyone can enjoy the F1 using Sky's pay-per-view platform, Now. Now is available on all good smart TVs and set-top-boxes. There's no 4K option, but go for the Now TV Boost add-on and you can stream in Full 1080p HD with Dolby 5.1 surround sound.

F1 season pass for only $9.99 per month

Want to watch the entire F1 season from start to finish? Formula 1's streaming service,  F1 TV Pro, is a great option. Fans in the USA can subscribe for only $9.99 per month or $79.99 per year, while those in France and the Netherlands can snag F1 TV Pro for just €7.99 a month. 

F1 TV Pro includes full, live coverage of every F1 race in HD. There are no commercial breaks and you can select English audio commentary from Sky TV's Martin Brundle and David Croft.

The service is available in over 188 countries – but not the UK (Sky has TV rights until 2024).

F1 TV Pro is available through the F1 TV website, iOS/Android apps, Roku TV and other mobile devices. The F1 app is now available on Apple TV, too.

Watch F1 live in the USA

In the US, ESPN has the rights to most F1 Grand Prix races, including practice and qualifying.

The exceptions are the US and Mexican grand prix races, which will be broadcast free on ABC later this year. 

Don't have cable access to ESPN? Cord-cutters can switch to a top streaming service such as Sling Orange or FuboTV...

F1 on Sling TV 50% off your first month
Catch the majority of the 2022 F1 season with Sling Orange, which provides streaming access to ESPN. You get your first month half price, then it's $35 each month after. There's no contract and you can cancel at any time. What's to lose?

FuboTV Free 7-day trial | $64.99 a month
Fubo TV ESPN and ABC (plus CBS, NBC and FOX) so it's a great watch to stream sports, including the 2022 F1 season. The app supports Roku, Fire TV and iOS/Android devices. No contract, cancel anytime.

View Deal

How to watch an F1 live stream in Spain

Carlos Sainz Jr Ferrari and Fernando Alonso at Alpine, 2022 is set to be huge year for Spanish F1 fans.

DAZN has the rights to show Formula 1 in Spain until the end of 2023. The streaming service will show the F1 World Championship on its exclusive DAZN F1 channel.

F1 live stream with DAZN for €9.99 a month
DAZN has the rights to the F1 in Spain as well as a host of other sports including football, UFC and more. Subscription costs jus €9.99 a month. No contract,  cancel at anytime.

F1 live stream in Brazil

TV Band is now the official F1 broadcaster in Brazil, which means Brazilian F1 fans can subscribe to F1 TV Pro and stream every track session of the 2022 F1 season for R$143 (US$27).

Going to be outside your home country of Brazil? You'll need to use a VPN to acces local live streams. We recommend ExpressVPN as it comes with a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee. Bueno!

F1 live stream in Australia

G'day motorsport fans. Fox Sports has the rights to show every live F1 races in Australia. That means Foxtel and Kayo Sports subscribers get a front row seat for the entire season.

Kayo Sports offers new subscribers a 14-day free trial. After that, you'll be bumped onto a rolling one month contract. Basic member is $25; Premium is $35. 

Happy with highlights? 10 Play will show free highlights of every 2022 F1 race.

F1 live stream in Germany

Sky Germany has the exclusive rights to every live F1 race this season.

With F1 now behind an expensive paywall in Germany, many fans will question the French and Dutch can watch every race live on F1 TV Pro for just €7.99 a month, while the Austrians can get a free live stream.

Going to be outside your home country of Germany? Simply use a VPN to access a live stream without being blocked.

F1 live stream in Russia

The 2022 F1 season is due to be shown free-to-air on Match TV in Russia.

Going to be outside your home country of Russia? Simply use a VPN to access a live stream without being blocked. We recommend ExpressVPN as it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

F1 live stream in Italy

Sky Italia is the place to watch F1 in Italy. F2 champion and former F1 test driver Davide Valsecchi provides brilliant pitlane reporting, while Jacques Villeneuve provides commentary. These guys don't mince their words.

Don't fancy taking out a Sky contact? Italian F1 fans can stream every race live via Sky's Now app. A 24-hour pass costs from €14.99. Molto bene!

F1 live stream in Japan

DAZN has been the home of F1 in Japan for several seasons. The sports streaming service offers deliver live coverage of every race and stats galore, so it's a no-brainer for (the many) F1 fans in Japan. Domo arigato!

2022 F1 calendar, dates and start times

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