Russian Grand Prix live stream and how to watch the F1 from Sochi

From we've seen so far, the F1 Russian Grand Prix live stream will be every bit as unpredictable as the season as a whole is proving to be. 

The Sochi Aerodrom was hit by torrential downpours yesterday, leading to the cancellation of third practice, but the clouds cleared just in time for qualifying. 

That was far from the end of the drama, though: Lewis Hamilton glanced the wall when returning to the pit for slick tires in the final session and could only finish fourth. Instead, McLaren's Lando Norris put in a thrilling lap to take pole ahead of Ferrari's Carlos Sainz. What's more, Williams' Mercedes-bound young Brit George Russell again performed wonders, taking third.

So where was Max Verstappen? The championship leader sat out qualifying, after Red Bull decided to replace his engine and take a grid penalty that means he'll start from the back. Verstappen was already facing a three-place penalty after being judged to be at fault for his collision with Hamilton last time out in Italy. 

All of which leaves us with the tantalising possibility of his Red Bull cutting through the traffic and reaching Hamilton to once again set up a duel between the two. We certainly wouldn't bet against it. 

One thing we do know is that Valtteri Bottas may be able to help his teammate out; like Verstappen, he's taken a grid penalty due to an engine change. That moves him down to 17th, leaving him just a few places ahead of the Dutchman and potentially able to slow the Red Bull down.

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There's plenty of intrigue ahead of us, then, and we'll find out what happens at the Sochi Autodrom circuit soon. The good news is that you can watch all the action online via an F1 Russian Grand Prix live stream; read on to find out how to do just that.

How to watch the F1 Russian Grand Prix live stream for free

Most countries have an F1 live stream on one channel or another, but many of them require a subscription. However, if you're lucky enough to live in Austria then you can watch the F1 Russian Grand Prix live stream for free.

That's because the race will be shown on free-to-air television on state broadcaster ORF.

If you're based in Austria but aren't at home for the Russian Grand Prix, don't worry — you can watch it via a VPN instead. We'll show you how to do that below.

How to watch the F1 Russian Grand Prix live stream from anywhere in the world

It's natural that you might want to watch the F1 Russian Grand Prix live stream from your home country, but what if you're not there when the race is on?

Look no further than a VPN, or virtual private network. A VPN makes it look as if you're surfing the web from your home country, rather than the one you're in. That means you can access the streaming services you already pay for, from anywhere on Earth. Or anywhere that has an internet connection, at least.

For instance, a Brit who's currently in the U.S. could watch the F1 Russian Grand Prix live stream on Sky Sports, even though they're not in the U.K. 

They're totally legal, inexpensive and easy to use. We've tested lots of the best VPN services and our favorite right now is ExpressVPN. It's fast, works on loads of devices and even offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. 

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.

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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 a U.K. service, you'd select U.K. from the list.

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

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

ESPN2 is the place to turn for the F1 Russian Grand Prix live stream in the U.S., and there are several ways you can access it.

As well as being available through your cable service across the weekend, 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. Also note that Formula 1 is not available on ESPN Plus, ESPN's standalone streaming service; you need access to live ESPN channels.

ESPN2 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. Either way, coverage of the big race starts at 8 a.m. ET on Sunday (September 26). 

If you don't want to pay for live ESPN2 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 set to be 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 an F1 live stream from anywhere in the world. 

If you're not already a Sling TV subscriber, you'll want Sling Orange in order to watch ESPN. This costs $35/month and includes dozens of other great channels. 

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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 ESPN2, plus other top networks including Bravo, FX and MTV.

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How to watch the F1 Russian Grand Prix live stream in the UK

As usual, Sky Sports F1 will show all of the Russian Grand Prix action, and in up to 4K resolution. The race starts at 1 p.m. BST.

You'll need to be a Sky Sports subscriber to watch the F1 Italian Grand Prix live stream: the Sky Sports F1 channel is available for £18 per month, 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 and a package that includes both Ultra HD and Sky Sports F1. In total, that'd come to £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. This will give you all 11 of the Sky Sports channels for a limited time, with pricing starting at £9.99 for a Day Pass and £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 F1 Russian Grand Prix live stream in Canada

TSN airs all Formula 1 races in Canada in English, while RDS has coverage in French. F1 TV Pro also remains an option for fans looking for an F1 live stream. 

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 F1 Russian Grand Prix live stream in Australia

Fox Sports has the rights to the F1 live streams in Australia, which means you can watch the 2021 Russian Grand Prix 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 Russian Grand Prix live stream: Practice, qualifying and race weekend schedule

The Russian Grand Prix weekend started on Friday (September 24) with practice 1 & 2. Saturday's third practice session was cancelled, but qualifying took place as scheduled.  

The race itself is tomorrow (Sunday, September 26).

Friday, September 24

• Practice 1: 4.30 a.m. – 5.30 a.m. ET (1.30 a.m. – 2.30 a.m PT / 9.30 a.m. – 10.30 a.m. BST)
• Practice 2: 8 a.m. – 9 a.m. ET (5 a.m. – 6 a.m PT / 1 p.m. – 2 p.m. BST)

Saturday, September 25

• Practice 3: CANCELLED
• Qualifying: 8 a.m. – 9 a.m. ET (5 a.m. – 6 a.m PT / 1 p.m. – 2 p.m. BST)

Sunday, September 26

Race: 8 a.m. – 10 a.m. ET (5 a.m. – 7 a.m PT / 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. BST)

F1 Russian Grand Prix — full starting grid

F1 Russian Grand Prix — current driver standings

F1 2021 car and driver line-ups

Full 2021 F1 calendar