Your IP address is what gives away to websites where you are actually located, informing them that you aren’t trying to access their services from within their approved region. A VPN (Virtual Private Network) will hide your IP address and replace it with a new one depending on which server you choose. So, if you want to stream Formula 1 from SRF, then you just need to install a VPN and connect to any server that is based in Switzerland. Alternatively, if you would rather stream from Channel 4 then you need to connect to a server that is based within the UK.
That’s all there is to it! You can follow this guide with any channel in the world, giving you plenty of options depending on whichever your favourite broadcasters are. BBC iPlayer is always a top choice as it also offers hundreds of other exclusive content ranging from live sporting events to TV programs. Additionally, if you prefer to stream without any ads interrupting you, then SRF is a fantastic choice as there is almost no advertising present on this channel.
| VPN Provider | Rating | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|
| CyberGhost | Best value for money | Get CyberGhost | |
| ExpressVPN | Premium VPN | Get ExpressVPN | |
| Private Internet Access | Great VPN, good value | Get PIA VPN |
More information about VPNs
If you are connected to the Internet, you (usually) have an internal IP address and almost certainly an external one. The external one comes from the ISP or Internet Service Provider and with it, your location can be determined quite exactly. This is not only true for the country, but also for the city and sometimes even the village.
If you use a VPN, all your data traffic goes through the server of the VPN provider and thus its public IP address. If the server is located in another country, it looks as if you are there. You are connected to the VPN server itself via a so-called VPN tunnel. This tunnel is encrypted and therefore your ISP cannot see what you are doing on the Internet. Once the tunnel is established, your IP address changes and your ISP can no longer see what you are doing. Here is the process visualised –
Want to discover more about VPNs? Follow us as we dive deep into the world of VPN technology.
Streaming Formula 1 on SRF
Let’s stick with the example of SRF from Switzerland for now. If you’re outside of Switzerland and you head to the SRF website or app, the service will recognize that you’re not located in Switzerland using your IP address. Your access will automatically be blocked and instead of streaming Formula 1 or any other SRF content, you’ll see a message that translates to – “This content is not available outside of Switzerland”.
To avoid these geo-restrictions, we need to head to our chosen VPN and connect to any server that’s located in Switzerland. Once connected, you’ll appear to have a Swiss IP address whilst your real IP will be hidden. If you then go back to the SRF website or app, you will no longer face this error message. SRF will be tricked into thinking you’re actually accessing it from within Switzerland and in turn will unblock any content including the Formula 1 races.
What are the best VPNs for streaming Formula 1 from anywhere?
To help you find the best VPNs for watching Formula 1 from any country, we’ve tested and researched as many options as we could. Technically speaking, any VPN service that has servers based in Switzerland (for SRF), Austria (for ORF), or the UK (for Channel 4), can unblock Formula 1. However, not all services are equal and some provide many more benefits than others.
To have the most enjoyable streaming experience, you’ll want a VPN that provides fast connection speeds. This will ensure that your streams are in the best possible quality and don’t ever suffer from buffering. You’ll also need a VPN that has an app or client that’s supported on whichever devices you want to stream from. There are a few other bonus features that separate the ‘good’ VPNs from the ‘best’ VPNs such as military-grade encryption, ad-blocking technology, multiple simultaneous connections, and a no-logs policy.
With all this in mind, here are our top recommended VPNs for watching Formula 1 in 2023.
- CyberGhost- Best overall choice
- ExpressVPN – Premium VPN
- PIA – Perfect for Linux users
CyberGhost
CyberGhost is well-known for its ability to bypass geo-restrictions and unblock streaming providers. With this VPN’s unbeatable connection speeds, you can enjoy the F1 races in stunning HD. As revealed by my speed test, With WireGuard, the latest protocol offered by CyberGhost, the VPN performs even better!
For an even better streaming experience, you can activate CyberGhost’s ad-blocking technology, AdBlocker. By blocking all ads on your browser before they even have a chance to load, AdBlocker can speed up page loading times as well as saving you bandwidth. This means you can even watch Formula 1 on your phone without worrying about racking up your mobile data bill. AdBlocker, of course, also protects your device against online dangers such as malware, phishing attempts, and spyware.
CyberGhost allows torrent downloads and provides special P2P servers for this purpose. There is also a special NoSpy servers feature. With this, the VPN provider routes your traffic through dedicated premium servers that offer an extra layer of security.
Security
CyberGhost is not only known for excellent streaming qualities, but also for being able to bypass censorship and VPN blocking. The stealth mode bypasses even the most stringent VPN filters. The VPN also works in countries with heavy internet restrictions.
A kill switch ensures that there are no data leaks should your connection to the VPN server get disconnected. It can always happen that a server is down or undergoing maintenance and so on. In this case, your connection to the Internet will be interrupted until a connection to the Virtual Private Network is restored.
CyberGhost allows up to 7 simultaneous connections. The app can be downloaded on any Windows, Android, macOS, and iOS device with browser extensions available for Chrome and Firefox. You can also install the VPN on your router to protect and stream from all devices in our home network.
ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is a premium VPN that provides impressive connection speeds and other helpful features. With a vast number of worldwide servers, you can easily bypass geo-restrictions and stream Formula 1 from any free-to-air channel from around the world.
The VPN provides clients for all major operating systems including Android, Windows, macOS, iOS and Linux. You can also install ExpressVPN on your home router. A highlight of ExpressVPN is that you’re permitted five simultaneous connections, so you can stream from multiple devices at once!
Security
ExpressVPN boasts strong encryption that will protect you against malware, phishing attempts, and other online risks. Unlike CyberGhost, ExpressVPN does not have a built-in ad-blocker, but its robust security measures ensure a secure browsing experience nonetheless.
ExpressVPN has a strict no-logs policy, making it ideal for users who take their online privacy very seriously. None of your online activity, IP addresses, or bandwidth usage will ever be monitored or shared by this VPN. ExpressVPN uses military-grade encryption to secure user data and also provides various other security features including a kill switch, private DNS, and TrustedServer technology, which ensures that no data ever resides on a server after reboot.
ExpressVPN also provides the Lightway VPN protocol which is perfect for watching the Formula 1 races online. This protocol is currently considered to be one of the fastest protocols available, which is why we would highly recommend it for streaming online content.
Private Internet Access (PIA)
PIA is not only a top-tier VPN, but it also offers one of the best Linux clients in the VPN market. You can also use this VPN on your Windows, macOS, Android, or iOS device too!
PIA has thousands of worldwide servers so you can unblock and stream Formula 1 from popular streaming services such as BBc, ORF, and SRF. In addition to OpenVPN, the VPN provider also offers WireGuard as a protocol, which can ensure faster connection speeds compared to standard VPN protocols
One of the best features of Private Internet Access is MACE, the VPN’s ad-blocker. MACE can block all ads, malware, and trackers in addition to, you guessed it, speeding up page loading times and reducing bandwidth usage.
As with the other VPNs we recommend, PIA has several privacy and security features on offer including a kill switch, dedicated IP, and split tunnelling support. Of course, PIA also has a strict no-logs policy, so your sensitive information, including your browsing history, timestamps, and IP addresses, are never collected by the VPN or shared with third parties.
PIA offers a generous 10 simultaneous connections, so you can stream from multiple devices at the same time. This is ideal if you live with others, as everyone in your household can protect their devices at once.
The provider allows P2P or torrenting / torrent downloads on all servers. Besides the apps for the operating systems mentioned above, there are also extensions for Firefox and Chrome. A SOCKS5 proxy is also available, should you need that feature.
Can I watch Formula 1 using a free VPN?
Although there are some free VPNs on the market, we would advise against them. Free VPNs have limited features and usually only have a couple of servers dotted around. This means that you likely cannot connect to a server to spoof your IP and unblock popular streaming services.
Free VPNs also often have issues with privacy. Since their services are free, they need some way to make money, right? This is mostly through selling users’ data to third parties. If you want to protect your anonymity online, then you should opt for a premium VPN.
Luckily, many of these premium VPNs offer free trials or have very generous refund policies. This means that you can test out all the features of a provider before committing to a paid subscription. Anyway, most VPNs (especially NordVPN, Surfshark, and PIA) have very low-cost subscriptions which are equivalent to only a cup of coffee or two each month. If they enable you to protect your privacy online and stream exciting content such as Formula 1 on free-to-air channels, then we’d say they’re well worth the price!
Channels broadcasting Formula 1 for free in 2023
You can use a VPN to unblock and stream from any of the following free–to-air channels:
- Network 10 (Australia)
- Canal 5 (Mexico)
- MBC Action (Middle East)
- Telecinco (Spain)
- Channel 4 (United Kingdom0
- SRF (Switzerland)
- ORF (Austria)
- Match TV (Russia)
- Great Sports (China)
- RTSH (Albania)
Formula 1 race calendar
Check out the dates of all the Formula 1 races so you don’t miss out on a second of the action!
| Round | Date | Grand Prix |
| 1 | 20th March | Bahrain (Sakhir) |
| 2 | 27th March | Saudi Arabia (Jeddah) |
| 3 | 10th April | Australia (Melbourne) |
| 4 | 24th April | Emilia Romagna (Imola) |
| 5 | 8th May | Miami (Miami) |
| 6 | 22nd May | Spain (Barcelona) |
| 7 | 29th May | Monaco (Monaco) |
| 8 | 12th June | Azerbaijan (Baku) |
| 9 | 19th June | Canada (Montreal) |
| 10 | 3rd July | Great Britain (Silverstone) |
| 11 | 10th July | Austria (Spielberg) |
| 12 | 24th July | France (Le Castellet) |
| 13 | 31st July | Hungary (Budapest) |
| 14 | 28th August | Belgium (Spa-Francorchamps) |
| 15 | 4th September | Netherlands (Zandvoort) |
| 16 | 11th September | Italy (Monza) |
| 17 | 25th September | Russia (Sochi) |
| 18 | 2nd October | Singapore (Marina Bay) |
| 19 | 9th October | Japan (Suzuka) |
| 20 | 23rd October | USA (Austin) |
| 21 | 30th October | Mexico (Mexico City) |
| 22 | 13th November | Brazil (Sao Paulo) |
| 23 | 20th November | Abu Dhabi (Yas Marina) |
To conclude
With a reliable VPN such as NordVPN, Surfshark, and PIA, you can swiftly bypass geo-restrictions to watch Formula 1 from anywhere You can access all free-to-air channels from any country in the world to stream the 2023 championship at no extra cost! It just takes a few minutes to set up your VPN, then you can stay protected online, speed up your page loading times, and remain completely anonymous as you circumvent geo-blocking.
This VPN trick works for any other sporting event too! Including the Premier League, MotoGP, and FIFA World Cup!
No. Unfortunately, the free-to-air German channel RTL is no longer broadcasting Formula 1. Therefore, you’ll have to spoof your location using a VPN and stream the event through a different German-language channel such as SRF and ORF.
Is it legal to use a VPN to stream Formula 1?
Yes, in the majority of countries it’s completely legal to use a VPN. As long as you are accessing legitimate websites and not downloading copyrighted media through torrents, then you’re not breaking the law by using a VPN. Some countries may try to restrict VPNs, but many providers use tools such as obfuscated servers or camouflage modes to bypass VPN-blocking firewalls.
You can stream Formula 1 from any devices that are supported by your chosen VPN. If you’re a Windows, Android, macOS, or iOS user, then both NordVPN and Surfshark have available apps. If you’re a Linux user, then you may prefer using PIA (Private Internet Access) instead.
A VPN will slow down your connection slightly. This is due to your traffic needing to be encrypted and decrypted as it’s rerouted to the VPN server. However, with the best VPNs, this speed reduction is barely noticeable. Plus, when you utilise additional features such as NordVPN’s ad-blocking technology, page loading pages will speed up as your browser will no longer have to spend time loading unnecessary ads. All in all, we highly doubt you’ll ever notice a slower connection when using a reputable VPN.