Free Bahrain F1 live stream: Where to watch the first Formula 1 GP of the season
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Ok, race fans, let's do this. We're just a few hours away from today's free Bahrain F1 live stream as the season's opening two races will be taking place on Saturday instead of the usual Sunday slots this year. Already missed it? We can point you to a lengthy highlights program, too.
If you've already looked around for local options on where to watch the Bahrain GP online, you might have found it's locked away behind a premium sports streaming subscription or pricey cable package. Well, since F1 is such a huge sport worldwide, it's inevitable that some countries are showing it for free locally.
That's where our guide comes in, as we can show you how to get around geo-restriction that blocks viewers from outside the channel's base country from watching for free like a local. We'll dive into greater detail below, but essentially, if you want to join in from overseas, you'll need a VPN to spoof your viewing device's location to match the broadcast. It's super simple to get going, and you'll be able to use this same method to watch every race this season (as shown in our free F1 live stream guide), along with even more free streaming opportunities like the below events:
- See also: Free Champions League Live stream | Free Six Nations live streams | Where to watch the Oscars for free
Where to watch a free F1 live stream
This weekend's simplest option for a free Bahrain F1 live stream is using a VPN to tune into one of the free European streams mentioned above. You don't get English commentary, but the data at the side of the screen provides a narrative in any language. Live driver comms with their teams are usually in English, too. You could also use an online text commentary site or BBC Radio 5 Live to keep up with events behind the scenes. The extended highlights show we mentioned is in English, too.
Our preferred option of all the best VPN providers is ExpressVPN, with a 30-day money-back guarantee if you're unsatisfied. Better yet, you can get an extra three months for free and save 49% on a subscription. Check out our ExpressVPN review for more information on the security app.
We used these F1 live streams throughout last season and have double-checked VPN compatibility with each channel's programming schedule today to ensure the race is on. These channels feature every race, except the Austrian option, as races alternate each weekend between ORF1 and ServusTV - ServusTV has the Bahrain GP.
If you insist on English commentary, you could always take advantage of Fubo's 7-day free trial in the US. If you're outside the US and want to try this option, you'll need a VPN and a form of US payment.
How to watch free Bahrain F1 live streams with a VPN
- Sign up for a VPN if you don't have one.
- Install it on the device you're using to watch the race.
- Turn it on and set it to a country with a free live stream.
- Head over to ServusTV (Austria) | RTBF (Belgium) | RTL2 (Luxembourg).
- Watch on the live sections of the sites.
- Race start: Today, 10 a.m. ET / 3 p.m. GMT / 4 p.m. CET / 11 p.m. AWST.
Are there extended Bahrain F1 highlights later?
In the UK, Channel 4 has an extended highlights show a few hours after the race today at 7:50 p.m. GMT (2:50 p.m. ET/3:50 p.m. CET/3:50 a.m. AWST). It's a lengthy one this week, too, clocking in at an epic 150 minutes. You'll also find these highlights available to watch on-demand the day after. That said, we sometimes notice that this version is a bit shorter than the usual highlights program.
You can tune in on the Channel 4 website online and use a VPN as outlined above to watch from outside the UK.
How to watch F1 Bahrain live stream in the US
ESPN carries coverage of Formula 1 racing throughout the season. If you don't already have access to the channel, there are a couple of cord-cutting options for you to consider. Sling TV's Orange tier is usually $40 a month, but a special offer now sees that first month's price slashed to just $20.
If you don't need such a comprehensive cord-cutting package, though, you might be better off picking up a subscription to ESPN+, as that's only $10.99 per month and will carry most races this season - we can confirm the first three are on the current listings schedule.
Fubo TV also has ESPN, but is more expensive and usually $79.99. However, it's currently reduced to $59.99 monthly for your first two months as a special promo. It's packed with channels, though, and is a favorite amongst cord-cutting sports fans. Better yet, you can get a 7-day free trial, so enjoy the race for free and cancel your sub before the week is up if you don't want to keep it.
How to watch Bahrain F1 live stream in the UK
The only free live Formula 1 race you'll likely get in the UK will be the British GP at Silverstone, as the last few seasons have seen Sky share coverage with Channel 4 for the event.
As for the rest of the season, Channel 4 runs an excellent extended highlights show a few hours after each race, which is a solid free alternative. They even do qualifying highlights a few hours after that wraps up the day before, too.
If you really want to see everything live, a Sky Sports deal is your best bet, and this is a great way to get it in glorious 4K, too. Sky has every race weekend covered, so you won't need to hop around between it and networks like TNT like you do for the Premier League.
If you don't want a traditional TV contract, though, and would prefer a monthly option that you can drop whenever you want, Sky's Now TV offshoot has a Sky Sports tier that costs £11.99 for a day pass, or £34.99 a month, although there's a promo on at the moment that drops that price to £21.99 for the next 12 months.
The main appeal of Now TV is it runs on a rolling one-month contract, but if you need it every week, it's arguably a better deal to get a proper Sky Sports package as you'll get way more bang for your buck. Also, Now TV is still operating in the dark ages and has the gall to charge extra for HD in 2024.
If you're craving an English F1 live stream from overseas, though, the online-only Now TV is at least compatible with a VPN.
Note: Using VPNs is illegal in certain countries, and using VPNs to access region-locked streaming content might constitute a breach of the terms of use for certain services. Insider does not endorse or condone the illegal use of VPNs.