In Summary
- F1 fans in India have been able to watch live F1 broadcasts on Start Sports for the longest time or live streamed on Disney+ Hotstar in recent years.
- However, the 2023 Formula 1 season changes this, as Formula One Management has decided not to air the event on these platforms.
- So, what’s the way forward? And how can you watch F1 in India? Here’s what you need to know.
Formula 1 is the most popular motorsport, with fans spread across the globe. Depending on where you’re in the world, you can catch live F1 action via telecast, live stream, or both.
Until the 2022 season, fans of the sport in India could watch Formula 1 races on Star Sports or Disney+ Hotstar. However, the 2023 Formula 1 season changes this, as Formula One Management has decided not to air the event on Start Sports nor stream it on Hotstar.
Instead, Formula One Management has launched its own OTT platform—F1 TV—in India for its F1 fans. Here’s all you need to know about F1 TV and how to watch F1 in India on it.
Table of Contents
What Is F1 TV?
F1 TV is an OTT platform that offers comprehensive coverage of Formula 1 throughout the season. It’s present in over 100 countries, and for some, like India, it’s the only way to watch F1 races.
F1 TV requires a Formula 1 account, which you can sign up for free, and an F1 TV subscription.
F1 TV Subscription Plans
F1 TV offers two subscriptions: F1 TV Access and F1 TV Pro. Both plans have different prices and are tailored to different needs. In India, F1 TV offers a 7-day free trial of the service, so you can try it out before paying for one of the subscriptions.
1. F1 TV Access
F1 TV Access is the affordable option between the two subscriptions. It’s priced at Rs 1,629 per year or Rs 239 per month, and for that amount, it gives you limited coverage of the sport throughout the season.
One of the main differences between F1 TV Access and F1 TV Pro is that you can’t live stream F1 races with the F1 TV Access subscription. Also, you won’t have access to the live commentaries. Thus, you’ll have to wait until a race is over so that you can read the most important moments in the replay.
To compensate for the lack of live streaming features, F1 TV Access also gives you access to certain live timing features such as leaderboard data, real-time telemetry, live driver map, tire usage, etc., that let you follow the race in real time on the go.
Finally, the subscription also provides exclusive access to various F1 documentaries and allows the streaming of more than 650 historical races from the archive.
2. F1 TV Pro India
F1 TV Pro is the F1 TV subscription you need if you wish to live stream F1 races. Priced at Rs 2,499 per year, or Rs 299 per month, it gives you live coverage of all the F1 races in a season, including pre-season testing and all the free practice and qualifying sessions on the race weekends.
In addition, the plan also offers on-demand access to full race replays and highlights. And, you can dig into F1 archives and documentaries from old seasons—as back as the 70s—to revisit some of the greatest battles and seasons in Formula 1 history.
F1 TV Pro’s biggest selling point is access to certain exclusive features. One of these is the ability to switch to driver onboard cameras—among other views—to experience the race from their viewpoint. Then, there’s multi-device support, which lets you set up different views on up to six devices simultaneously.
Access to exclusive F1 broadcasts and team radio are other reasons to subscribe to F1 TV Pro. As if that wasn’t enough, the F1 TV Pro subscription also provides access to various F1 support races, such as F2, F3, and Porsche Supercup, making it the perfect companion for F1 fans.
Other Notable F1 TV Features
- Multiple channel feeds (in order): F1 Live, F1 International, Driver Tracker, Data Channel, and Onboard Camera
- High (up to 1080p) streaming quality at up to 50fps
- Ability to change streaming quality on the web
- Support for up to six devices
- Multi-language commentary on the international channel
- Ability to switch to international (Sky Sports) commentary
- Multiple platform support: Android & Android TV, iOS, tvOS, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Roku, and web
What Platforms Does F1 TV Support?
F1 TV is available on various platforms. It’s available as an app on the App Store for iOS and tvOS devices, the Play Store for Android smartphones and Android TV devices, the Amazon Appstore for Fire TV devices, and on Chromecast and Roku. F1 TV is also accessible on desktops via a web browser.
F1 TV supports up to six devices. This makes it possible to watch the livestream on one screen while the live race times are displayed on other screens to make the experience even more interesting.
However, at the time of writing, the F1 TV app allows you to play the livestream on more than one device. We believe this is a bug. But until F1 fixes this bug, you can take advantage and set up multiple screens where you can watch the action live from different feeds on different screens at the same time.
How to Watch F1 Races On F1 TV?
To watch F1 races on F1 TV, you must first subscribe to F1 TV Pro. Head over to F1 TV’s official website, sign up for an F1 account (if you don’t have one already), and subscribe to a plan. You can either pick a monthly or annual subscription for your preferred plan.
Next, depending on your device/platform, download the F1 TV Pro app to your device.
Download F1 TV: Android | iPhone | iPad | Apple TV (Free)
If you want to use F1 TV on your Android TV, check out our how to install F1 TV on Android TV guide to set it up. Or if you wish to watch it on your computer, open a web browser, head over to the F1 TV website, and log in.
Once you have the F1 TV app installed on your device, log in. Make sure you’re using the same Formula 1 account that you subscribed to F1 TV Pro with. And that’s it! You should now be able to access all F1 TV Pro features in the app.
When a race weekend is coming up, you’ll see shows and interviews that give you insights and the latest updates as they happen. On Fridays, you can live stream the FP1 and FP2 sessions and get updates afterward. On Saturdays, you can stream the FP3 sessions live, followed by the qualifying session and interviews.
Finally, on race day, you can watch the pre-race shows, the main event, and the post-race presentations and shows live.
Experience F1 TV Live Never Before
F1 TV is the best way to follow Formula 1 no matter where you’re in the world. It offers an unparalleled Formula 1 experience – one you won’t find on TV or OTT live streams.
Sure, the annual subscription to F1 TV Pro sounds a bit pricey at Rs 2,499. But considering what is offered here, the cost is justified, especially if you’re a passionate fan of the sport. Not to mention that there are no more TV broadcasts, this is your only option to watch Formula 1 in India.