Formula 1 continues to gain new fans around the world. But finding the different streaming races for the 2022 season is not necessarily the easiest task. Don’t worry: we have all the channels you need to follow the competition.
That’s it, have you fallen into Formula 1? You are not alone. The 2022 F1 World Championship continues to attract new spectators, and the exploits of its big stars such as Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton or the French Esteban Ocon fascinate the crowds more and more. But there you have it: it’s not necessarily the easiest motorsport to watch, simply because live streams aren’t as widely broadcast as the most popular sports in our country. So to find a streaming channel, let’s take stock.
Which channels broadcast F1 live (streaming)?
To have a wider range of choices, we need to look more broadly on the European side. For a simple reason: in France, Canal+ is the sole operator of Formula 1. However, the choice is wide: you have access to free practice, qualifying and the Grand Prix. On the TV channel, you will find the broadcast live and in HD. With a myCanal subscription, you can stream all of this directly to your computer, mobile or tablet. However, it may be interesting to look at the other European channels, here is a small comparison of the offers.
| Chain | Price | Catalog |
|---|---|---|
| Canal+ (France) | from €20.99/month | Free practice, qualifying, Grand Prix |
| RTBF (Belgium) | Free | Qualifying, Grand Prix |
| RTS (Switzerland) | Free | Qualifying, Grand Prix |
| ORG (Austria) | Free | Free practice, qualifying, Grand Prix |
| ServusTV (Austria) | Free | Free practice, qualifying, Grand Prix |
How to watch F1 in French streaming
F1 in France: Canal+
In France, there is no particular trick; you have to pay. French group Canal+ has full F1 broadcasting rights live and streaming. The historic legal TV channel has access to the entire 2022 Formula 1 season. Also, you will necessarily have to subscribe to Canal + to be able to enjoy it. The first Canal+ offer is 20.99 euros per monthand also includes subscription to Disney+.
If we can regret the fact that TF1 lost the call for tenders, we cannot deny either that the Canal proposal is complete. You can find all the free practices, all the qualifications and all the Grand Prix there. There is no more complete solution. What’s more, the channel is a regular at these competitions and still offers an unbeatable quality of commentary and transcription. As a bonus, being a subscriber means being able to find all of this on many different platforms (TV, computer, smartphone, tablet) with ease, via the many Canal+ applications available.
F1 in Belgium: RTBF
French-language broadcasts do not stop at France. In Belgium, it’s the RTBF channel who picked up the broadcasting rights for the competition. And this one is available free of charge for our Belgian friends, with streaming on the net (the platform is called RTBF Auvio) and comments in French. The offer is not as complete as on Canal + – the free trials are not broadcast – but the sinews of war (the qualifications and the Grand Prix) are available. Belgium also has a certain F1 culture, and therefore very good quality commentators.
To can enjoy the competition in streaming, however, you need a Belgian IP address. If you are not physically based in Belgium, you will therefore need to use a VPN to be able to take advantage of it. Many VPNs exist for this, but beware: if your only goal is to watch F1, it will always be more financially advantageous to subscribe to Canal+. If, on the other hand, you have a Netflix account and you see the usefulness of the VPN beyond this competition, this can be a good alternative. Free VPNs also exist, but may be limited.
F1 in Switzerland: RTS
Same case in Switzerland, where the local channel RTS available free of charge has recovered the broadcasting rights for the 2022 F1 season. RTS skipped free practice to focus on qualifying and Grand Prix. The channel itself specializes in sports, automobile or not, and therefore allows you to find a team of enthusiasts with commentaries, in French.
As is the case for RTBF, you will not be able to access the broadcast without having a Swiss IP. Also, you will again need to use a VPN to change the location of your IP address.
Note that free broadcasts are also available in Austria thanks to the ORF and ServusTV channels. However, these broadcasts are in German, and again require the use of a local IP address.
