F1 Australian Grand Prix live stream 2023 — how to watch race free right now

Sergio Perez seen driving the Oracle Red Bull Racing, RB19 - Honda RBPT, will factor heavily into the F1 Australian Grand Prix live stream
(Image credit: NurPhoto / Getty Images)

We just turned on the 2023 F1 Australian Grand Prix live stream, which we're hoping delivers some surprises. Because wouldn’t you know it, Red Bull is actually split across the starting grid — at 1st and 20th.

You'll be able to watch it play out online, so read on and we'll show you how to watch F1 live streams from anywhere with a VPN, potentially for FREE.

2023 F1 Australian Grand Prix live stream: How to watch live online

The 2023 F1 Australian Grand Prix starts at 1 a.m. ET / 6 a.m. BST / 4 p.m. AEDT on today (Sunday, April 2) and 10 p.m. PT (Saturday, April 1)
• FREE LIVE STREAM — Watch on RTL Zwee (Luxembourg), 10play (Australia) or Servus (Austria)
• U.K. — Watch on Sky Sports or Now
• U.S. — Watch on ESPN via Sling or Fubo.TV and ESPN Plus
• Watch anywhere — Try ExpressVPN 100% risk free

So, yes, Max Verstappen took pole position for the Australian Grand Prix, no shock there. But to have George Russell and Lewis Hamilton in the No. 2 & 3 spots respectively — and Sergio Perez at 20th? Shocks all the way down.  Perez had crashed during the first lap of qualifying.

Verstappen in the top three may be disappointing, but it's not unsurprising. At Saudi Arabia, Max Verstappen started in 15th place after a driveshaft failure, but he still actually made it from 15th to 2nd. And Red Bull took No. 1 with Sergio Perez. 

According to Max's detractors, that win for Checo was the closest thing to a good thing this F1 season has offered this side of Fernando Alonso. Speaking of Alonso, the veteran took his second third-place position of the season back after the stewards decided to reverse the five-second grid spot penalty that was announced after the race had ended.

Meanwhile, around the F1 league, McLaren's technical director James Key has left the team, and his position's responsibilities will be split into three other positions. Oh, and Lewis Hamilton's possible departure from Mercedes — he's in his final year and the team is struggling to make a car that can compete — has raised the question of if Red Bull would try and sign him.

The first practices may show us if the Red Bull duo and Alonso will continue to be placed will for a podium this weekend. Full schedule is below, and lights are out at the Australian Grand Prix at 1 a.m. ET / 6 a.m. BST / 4 p.m. AEDT on Sunday (April 2) which is 10 p.m. PT (Saturday, April 1). Make sure you don't miss a second of it by watching an Australian Grand Prix live stream — potentially for FREE. 

Read on for details of how to watch, and don't forget to check out our full 2023 F1 live streams hub for more information including the full schedule for the season.

FREE Australian Grand Prix live streams

How to watch the 2023 F1 Australian Grand Prix live stream for FREE

If you're lucky enough to live in Australia, Austria or Luxembourg then you can enjoy every second of the F1 Australian Grand Prix live stream for FREE.

That's because the free-to-air RTL Zwee in Luxembourg will be showing every session of the Grand Prix, as will Servus in Austria. 10play has the event in Australia.

But what if you're usually based in one of those countries but aren't at home for the Australian Grand Prix live stream? Maybe you're on holiday and don't want to spend money on pay TV in another country, when you'd usually be able to watch for free at home?

Don't worry — you can watch it via a VPN instead. We'll show you how to do that below.

Our favorite VPN service right now is ExpressVPN, but you'll find others in our best VPN services list.

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Safety, speed and simplicity combine to make ExpressVPN our favorite VPN service. It's also compatible with loads of devices and there's a 30-day money-back guarantee if you want to try it out.

Using a VPN is incredibly simple.

1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, ExpressVPN is our favorite.

2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance if you're in the U.S. and want to view an Austrian service, you'd select Austria from the list.

3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to Servus or another website and watch the race.

2023 Australian Grand Prix live streams around the world

How to watch the F1 Australian Grand Prix live stream in the US

US flag

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As with every F1 race this season, the 2023 Australian Grand Prix live stream will be shown on ESPN. Coverage will be spread across ESPN2, ESPN3 and ESPNEWS, with the race itself on ESPN and ESPN Plus.

There are several ways you can access ESPN — and two of them are among our picks for the best streaming services

ESPN is available through most cable packages as well as cable TV replacement services, including Sling TV, Fubo.TV, YouTube TV and Hulu with Live TV.  

As well as being available through your cable service, you can also stream the race via the ESPN app, or on the Watch section of ESPN's website. However, you'll need to authenticate with your satellite, cable or live TV provider credentials to watch any sessions. 

If you don't want to pay for live ESPN in some fashion or another, your best alternative is F1 TV Pro. This is F1's own official F1 live stream service, and as with ESPN's own coverage, it uses the feed from Sky Sports F1. 

F1 TV Pro costs $10 per month or $80 for the season, which is much better value considering there are 23 races this year. Plus you also get Formula 2, Formula 3 and Porsche Supercup races, and F1's archive of classic Grands Prix.

And remember, if you're usually based in the U.S. but aren't there at the moment, you can still watch the services you already subscribe to via a VPN such as ExpressVPN — meaning you can view the F1 Australian Grand Prix live stream from anywhere in the world. 

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If you're not already a Sling TV subscriber, you'll want Sling Orange in order to watch ESPN. This costs $40/month and includes dozens of other great channels. Recent deals have included 50% off for your first month.

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Love sports? Then check out Fubo.TV. It's got a 7-day free trial so you don't need to pay up front. The channel lineup includes ESPN and ESPN2, plus other top networks including Bravo, FX and MTV.

How to watch the 2023 F1 Australian Grand Prix live stream in the UK

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As usual, Sky Sports F1 will show the 2023 Australian Grand Prix live stream, and in up to 4K resolution. 

You'll need to be a Sky Sports subscriber to watch the F1 live streams: the Sky Sports F1 channel is available for £15 per month (Sky Q is required), and there are packages available that give you lots more channels for only a bit extra. 

To follow it in ultra high-definition 4K, you'll need to pay a little more: you'll need a Sky Q set-top box or Sky Glass and a package that includes both Ultra HD and Sky Sports F1. In total, that'd come to at least £45 a month, plus a £20 one-off payment if you're not an existing subscriber.

A far cheaper option is to buy a Now Sports Pass. For all 11 Sky Sports channels, you'll want the £33.99 for one month. There's no 4K available here, though.

Again, if you're usually based in the U.K. but are elsewhere at the moment, you can still watch the services you subscribe to by using one of the best VPN services.

How to watch the 2023 F1 Australian Grand Prix live stream in Canada

Canadian flag

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

TSN has the Australian Grand Prix live stream in Canada in English, while RDS has coverage in French. F1 TV Pro also remains an option for fans. 

All sessions are broadcast on TSN, and if you receive the network through your cable or satellite provider, you can use TSN Go by signing in with your TV service credentials. Cord-cutters will want to check out TSN Direct, which comes in day- and month-long passes for $8 or $20 CAD, respectively. The TSN app will allow you to live stream the race from your phone, streaming box or supported device.

Not actually in Canada at the moment? ExpressVPN and other VPN services can help you access the services you already subscribe to.

How to watch the 2023 F1 Australian Grand Prix live stream in Australia

Australian flag

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

The big news for Aussies is that 10play will have FREE live coverage of the Australian Grand Prix, as is fitting for a race in the country.

10play is Australian broadcaster Network 10's streaming service, and anyone can sign up for it for free. All you need to do is enter your details, including an Australian post code. 

Fox Sports also has the rights to the Australian Grand Prix live stream in Australia, which means you can watch all the action online via Foxtel

Kayo Sports is another option. This service offers new subscribers a 14-day free trial, while one-month subscriptions start at $25. 

You can also use one of the best VPN services to follow the action from your home country even when you're elsewhere.

F1 Australian Grand Prix — Starting Grid

Swipe to scroll horizontally
POSDRIVERCAR
1Max VerstappenRed Bull
2George RussellMercedes
3Lewis HamiltonMercedes
4Fernando AlonsoAston Martin
5Carlos SainzFerrari
6Lance StrollAston Martin
7Charles LeclercFerrari
8Alexander AlbonWilliams
9Pierre GaslyAlpine Renault
10Nico HulkenbergHaas
11Esteban OconAlpine Renault
12Yuki TsunodaAlphatauri
13Lando NorrisMclaren
14Kevin MagnussenHaas
15Nyck De VriesAlphatauri
16Oscar PiastriMclaren
17Zhou GuanyuAlfa Romeo
18Logan SargeantWilliams
19Valtteri BottasAlfa Romeo
20Sergio PerezRed Bull Racing

F1 Australian Grand Prix schedule

2023 F1 Australian Grand Prix live stream: Practice, qualifying and race weekend schedule

Max Verstappen of Red Bull

(Image credit: Red Bull / Getty)

The Australian Grand Prix weekend begins Thursday (March 30, at least in Eastern Time), with practice 1, Practice 2 and 3 on Friday (March 31), qualifying on Saturday (April 1) and the race on Sunday (April 2).

Thursday, March 30

Practice 1

  • 9:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. ET
  • 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m PT
  • 2:30 a.m. – 3:30 a.m. BST (Fri. March 31)
  • 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. AEDT (Fri. March 31)

Friday, March 31

Practice 2

  • 1 a.m. – 2 a.m. ET
  • 10 p.m. – 11 p.m PT (March 30)
  • 6 a.m. – 7 p.m. BST
  • 4 p.m. - 5 p.m. AEDT

Practice 3

  • 9:30 p.m. – 10:30 a.m. ET
  • 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m PT
  • 2:30 a.m. – 3:30 a.m. BST (Sat. April 1)
  • 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. AEDT (Sat. April 1)

Saturday, April 1

Qualifying

  • 1 a.m. – 2 a.m. ET
  • 10 p.m. – 11 p.m PT (Friday, March 31)
  • 6 a.m. – 7 a.m. BST
  • 4 p.m. - 5 p.m. AEDT

Sunday, April 2

Australian Grand Prix

  • 1 a.m. ET
  • 10 p.m. PT (Saturday, April 1st) 
  • 6 a.m. BST
  • 4 p.m. AEDT

F1 2023 car and driver line-ups

Swipe to scroll horizontally
TeamDriver 1Driver 2
Red BullMax Verstappen Sergio Perez
FerrariCharles Leclerc Carlos Sainz
MercedesLewis Hamilton George Russell
AlpineEsteban Ocon Pierre Gasly
McLarenLando Norris Oscar Piastri
Aston MartinFernando Alonso Lance Stroll
Alfa RomeoValtteri Bottas Guanyu Zhou
Alpha TauriYuki Tsunoda Nyck de Vries
HaasKevin Magnussen Nico Hülkenberg
WilliamsAlex Albon Logan Sargeant

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Henry T. Casey
Managing Editor (Entertainment, Streaming)

Henry is a managing editor at Tom’s Guide covering streaming media, laptops and all things Apple, reviewing devices and services for the past seven years. Prior to joining Tom's Guide, he reviewed software and hardware for TechRadar Pro, and interviewed artists for Patek Philippe International Magazine. He's also covered the wild world of professional wrestling for Cageside Seats, interviewing athletes and other industry veterans.