Chinese Grand Prix 2024: How to watch the next F1 race without cable

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen once again came in first at the last F1 grand prix. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)

F1 fans, start your engines. The 2024 season continues this weekend with the Chinese Grand Prix. Once again, this weekend’s F1 race will be subject to inconvenient timing for US viewers, with the main event starting at 2:55 a.m. ET on Sunday morning (so maybe plan on staying up late this Saturday night). This grand prix is the first to be held in China since 2019. Headed into the Chinese Grand Prix, Verstappen is once again the most-recent winner, after briefly breaking his winning-streak due to a mechanical failure on the track at the Australian Grand Prix.

Whether you’ve already got some miles on you as a Formula 1 fan, or the first grand prix of the season will be your first time tuning into the action on the track, watching or streaming this wildly popular international sport from the US can be a challenge. If you don’t want to have to race to find the Chinese Grand Prix on TV, we’ve got you covered. Here’s how to watch the F1 races this weekend.

How to watch the F1 Chinese Grand Prix:

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Stream free F1 coverage

Date: Sunday, Apr. 21, 2024

Race time: 2:55 a.m. ET/11:55 p.m. PT

Location: Shanghai International Circuit, Shanghai, China

TV channel: ESPN

Streaming: ESPN+

What channel is the F1 Chinese Grand Prix on?

The Chinese Grand Prix will air live on ESPN, the home of F1 this season with 18 out of 24 races airing on either ESPN or ABC, and the remainder airing on ESPN2. 16 races will stream on ESPN+ in 2024.

For cord cutters who want to watch F1 racing, including this weekend’s grand prix, we recommend a live TV streaming service such as Hulu’s live TV bundle, which includes ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN+. If you’re looking for a lower-cost subscription, a direct subscription to ESPN+ is an affordable option great for fans of all kinds of sports. If you’re only interested in watching F1 racing and don’t care about the ability to watch other sports, an F1 TV Pro subscription is a simple way to stream every race, practice and qualifier.

How to watch F1 in the USA without cable:

(Hulu)

For watching F1 races (and other sports), Hulu’s live TV tier is a solid option. The streaming service’s live TV bundle will get you access to ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 (make sure to check your zip code to confirm eligibility). Plus, this bundle gets you a subscription to ESPN+ so you can stream F1 races and practices there. You’ll also get ad-supported Disney+ and, of course, access to Hulu’s general content library. Hulu’s live TV plans also include unlimited DVR storage, a hardware-free set-up process and easy online cancellation.

$76.99/month at Hulu

(ESPN+)

The Bahrain Grand Prix will stream on ESPN+. An ESPN+ subscription grants you access to exclusive ESPN+ content including live events, fantasy sports tools and premium ESPN+ articles. You can stream ESPN+ through an app on your smart TV, phone, tablet, computer and on ESPN.com.

$11 at ESPN

(F1 TV)

An F1 TV Pro subscription lets you stream every F1 race live, plus all the practices, qualifying races and pre-race shows. F1 TV is also home to F1’s post-race live shows, analysis, Tech Talks, documentaries and the official F1 archive. You can subscribe to F1 TV Pro for $10.99/month or pay $85 for the entire season.

Try free for 7 days at F1 TV

How to stream F1 for free from the US

Don’t want to deal with racing to find F1 coverage across ESPN platforms every Grand Prix? We’ve got a hack for you. Residents of Luxembourg are able to watch free F1 live streams of every Grand Prix in 2024 on the free-to-air ServusTV. If you don’t live in Luxembourg, you can still stream like you do with the help of a VPN.

A VPN (virtual private network) helps protect your data, can mask your IP address and is perhaps most popular for being especially useful in the age of streaming. Whether you’re looking to watch Friends on Netflix (which left the U.S. version of the streamer back in 2019) or tune in to the F1 race this weekend without a cable package, a VPN can help you out. Looking to try a VPN for the first time? This guide breaks down the best VPN options for every kind of user.

(ExpressVPN)

Residents of Luxembourg or Austria are able to watch free F1 live streams of every Grand Prix in 2023 on the free-to-air ServusTV and ORF. If you don’t live in either of those countries, you can still stream like you do with the help of a VPN.

ExpressVPN offers “internet without borders,” meaning you can tune into an Austrian livestream this month as opposed to paying for ESPN or ESPN+ for US coverage of F1. All you’ll need to do is sign up for ExpressVPN, change your server location and then find the free F1 livestream.

ExpressVPN’s added protection, speed and range of location options makes it an excellent choice for first-time VPN users looking to stretch their streaming abilities, plus, it’s Endgadget’s top pick for the best streaming VPN. New users can save 49% when they sign up for ExpressVPN’s 12-month subscription. Plus, the service offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, in case you’re nervous about trying a VPN.

$7 at ExpressVPN