The 2024 F1 season continues this weekend – here’s how to watch all the action from the third race of the season in Australia
The 2024 season is already well underway, but it’s a familiar story at the front. Three-time champion Max Verstappen has won both races so far, with teammate Sergio Perez taking second place.
Will it be more Red Bull domination at the third race of the season in Melbourne? And who will be best of the rest?
Here’s how to watch every F1 race live, wherever you are.When is the F1 Australian Grand Prix?
The Australian Grand Prix takes place this weekend. Here are the key times you need to know:
Qualifying – 23 March at 4pm local time (5am UK, 1am ET, 10pm 22 March PT)
Race – 24 March at 3pm local time (4am UK, 12am ET, 7pm 22 March PT) How to watch every F1 race (and testing) for free in the UK
Sky showing every race live
Extended qualifying, plus highlights on shown a few hours after the race
only has British GP live
F1 is fast becoming a pay-to-watch sport. But there are ways to watch without paying, especially if you’re happy to watch highlights later in the day.
Sky still has the exclusive rights to show live races in the UK (as well as Italy and Germany), meaning the only coverage on free-to-air TV in the UK will be available on . The British Grand Prix is the only race of the season that’s broadcast live on each season.
’s streaming service – known simply as ‘ ’ – allows you to watch live from wherever you are. , but it can take a while for the highlights to appear there if you don’t catch them as they’re being broadcast. The highlights show usually lasts more than two hours and is allowed to cover 70% of the action.
You can watch on your TV, of course, but you can also watch using the All 4 app on your phone or tablet (but not live), or in a web browser via the website. See the full range of options on the website.
The other way to watch for free – especially if you want to watch races live – is to use a VPN and stream them from broadcasters in other countries which show races on free-to-air channels (but not necessarily with English commentary).
Remember, if you watch any live TV in the UK, you’ll need a TV Licence. This currently costs £159 per year.How to watch F1 races on Sky Sports
If you’re happy to pay a subscription fee so you can watch entire races live, then Sky is the only official option in the UK.
Races are now broadcast in 4K HDR, though you’ll need a Sky Glass TV, or a Sky Q box that’s capable of sending the 4K HDR signal to your compatible TV. That means one which supports the HLG type of HDR, because that’s what Sky uses. You’ll also need the appropriate Ultra HD add-on for your Sky TV package.
Since March 2023, the relevant channel is known as ‘Sky Sports F1 UHD’, reflecting the fact it now supports 4K HDR as standard.
If you just want F1, the Sky Sports F1 channel currently costs £15 extra for 12 months on top of your existing contract, which starts at £25 per month for 18 months. Alternatively, you can get all 9 Sky Sports channels for £22 extra.
For an all-in-one entertainment package, Sky TV, Sky Sports and Netflix via Sky Stream will cost you £46 per month for 18 months.
You can also get all the Sky Sports channels via the TNT Sports ‘Big Sport’ bundle for £43 per month with £41.
