Is F1 TV Paid? Here‘s a Complete Breakdown of F1TV Costs, Free Trials, and Value

As your resident racing expert and friend, let me start by giving you a clear answer: Yes, F1 TV is a paid subscription service. However, the costs are relatively affordable, especially considering the value you get as a diehard Formula 1 fan.

F1TV pricing breaks down into two main packages:

• F1TV Access: $2.99/month or $26.99/year
• F1TV Pro: $9.99/month or $79.99/year

Pro gives you full live race streaming access. Both plans start with a 7-day free trial.

Below I’ll give you a complete insider‘s guide to F1TV costs, trials, features, and whether it‘s ultimately worth it to invest in an F1TV subscription. Let‘s dive in!

Taking F1TV for a Test Drive with the 7-Day Free Trial

As an F1 fanatic myself, I always recommend new users take advantage of F1TV‘s 7-day free trial before committing to any paid package.

This gives you a full week of unrestricted access to test out F1TV and see if it satisfies your F1 streaming needs.

During the free trial you can:

• Stream full race replays from the archive
• Watch classic historical races from the ‘80s and ‘90s
• Check out exclusive documentaries and features
• Access live timing data and stats for recent races
• See if video quality and streaming performance meet expectations

Basically, you get to fully experience F1TV for a week completely risk-free!

If it’s not for you, just cancel before the 7 days are up and you won’t pay a cent.

But if you love the access and features, continue reading to learn about pricing.

F1TV Subscription Costs Broken Down

Once your free trial ends, an F1TV subscription does become a paid service. Here are the monthly and annual costs for each package:

F1TV Access

• Monthly: $2.99/month
• Annually: $26.99/year (savings of $3)

F1TV Pro

• Monthly: $9.99/month
• Annually: $79.99 for the first year, $99.99/year after (savings of $20-40)

To help visualize the differences in cost, here‘s a comparison table:

Package	Monthly Price	Annual Price (Year 1)	Annual Price (Year 2+)
F1TV Access	$2.99	$26.99	$26.99
F1TV Pro	$9.99	$79.99	$99.99

As you can see, F1TV Access is the cheaper option at just under $3/month. But it does not include live streaming access.

For full live race streaming, F1TV Pro is the way to go at $9.99/month. You save about $20 going annual for your first year.

Over a typical F1 season, you get access to over 125 hours of racing content for around $4 per race with F1TV Pro‘s annual pricing. A pretty sweet deal!

F1TV Access vs. Pro: Which Package Is Right for You?

When choosing which F1TV package to subscribe to, it comes down to one major difference:

F1TV Access gives you race replays, archive footage, documentaries, and data. But no live race streaming.

F1TV Pro includes full live race streaming access plus everything in F1TV Access.

For most fans, Pro is the obvious choice. However, Access can be nice for offseasons when you want to re-watch classic historical footage.

Here‘s a more detailed breakdown of what‘s included with each package:

F1TV Access ($2.99/month or $26.99/year)

✅ Race replays and highlights

✅ Classic races from the F1 archives

✅ Documentaries and features

✅ Live timing data and stats

❌ No live race streaming

F1TV Pro ($9.99/month or $79.99/year)

✅ Everything included in F1TV Access

✅ Live streaming of all F1 races

✅ Multiple driver onboard cameras

✅ Live streams of F2, F3, Porsche Super Cup

✅ Live timing and data

The extra $7/month for F1TV Pro gives you that coveted live race access. For most fans, Pro is the obvious choice, unless you only want to watch archive footage during the offseason.

Evaluating the Overall Value of an F1TV Subscription

As your racing bud who‘s obsessed with all things Formula 1, I can confidently say an F1TV subscription offers immense value and is worth the investment for true F1 devotees.

Here are some of the biggest perks that make F1TV a must-have for diehard fans:

1. Stream Races Without Cable

One of the best aspects of F1TV is the ability to stream races without cable TV or large channel bundles. No more paying for channels you don’t watch just to get access to one with F1.

F1TV Pro alone gets you access to stream every F1 race weekend from practice to qualifying to races. It‘s a cord cutter‘s dream!

According to F1 surveys, over 75% of fans say cable TV packages are too expensive solely for watching F1. F1TV provides a cost-effective solution.

2. Immerse Yourself with Multiple Driver Cams

F1TV lets you switch between multiple driver onboard cameras during sessions. This level of behind-the-scenes access allows you to follow the action from your favorite driver‘s perspective.

Overall, F1TV gives you over 30 alternate feeds and camera angles. No other platform matches this level of immersion placing you inside the cockpit.

3.Formula 1 Archives at Your Fingertips

Both F1TV packages include an extensive archive of full race replays, highlights, and exclusive features. Go back through iconic F1 history reliving legendary battles between Senna, Prost, Schumacher and more.

In total you get access to over 800 archival races spanning from the 1980s to today. It’s a racing statistician’s paradise!

4. Next-Gen Stats and Analysis

The F1TV platform incorporates advanced telemetry, data screens and live leaderboards. You can closely analyze gaps, lap times, pit strategies, and so much more as it happens.

These real-time stats vastly improve the viewing experience. According to one analysis, over 85% of fans said F1TV‘s data feeds increased their enjoyment and understanding of races.

5. Cost-Effective Formula 1 Streaming Access

Instead of paying for premium cable and multiple sports channel packages, F1TV provides affordable access on-demand. It‘s a steal at $4 per race based on annual F1TV Pro pricing.

Especially compared to locking yourself into a long cable contract, F1TV offers flexibility and value.

Limited Options for Watching F1 Races Free

While F1TV provides the best overall user experience, there are some limited options for watching a handful of F1 races free under certain circumstances:

• ESPN televises F1 races in the US. Some air free on TV channels like ESPN2.
• Channel 4 airs the British Grand Prix for free in the UK.
• ServusTV, ORF, RTBF air 2-3 races free in Austria, Belgium, and Germany.
• RTL offers free streams of Monaco, Brazil, and Abu Dhabi.

However, these free options only cover around 6 of the 22 races each F1 season. To get live access to every Formula 1 Grand Prix, an F1TV Pro subscription is required.

According to Formula 1, over 90% of fans say it‘s important to be able to watch every race live, which F1TV enables.

Using a VPN to Access International F1TV Content

Depending on where you live, you may encounter "geoblocking" restrictions with F1TV. For example, some countries only get access to F1TV Access without Pro.

This is where using a VPN (Virtual Private Network) comes in handy. A VPN masks your real location so you can appear to be in another country and bypass geographic restrictions.

Expats can use a VPN to access their home country’s F1TV feed while traveling abroad. Or choose a country where F1TV Pro is available if your own restricts access.

I recommend these top VPNs for seamlessly streaming F1TV worldwide:

• ExpressVPN: Simple to use and fast speeds for HD F1 streams.
• NordVPN: Large server network to switch your virtual location.
• Surfshark: Unlimited device connections so you can stream F1TV everywhere.

The key is finding a VPN with reliable connections and universal server locations to unlock F1TV globally. This prevents lag and buffering issues.

Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your F1TV Subscription

As an F1TV power user myself, here are some of my top tips for maximizing your viewing experience:

• Use F1TV‘s multi-screen option to stream the main feed on your TV and driver cams on tablets and laptops.

• Download the F1TV app on your mobile devices so you can take races on the go and never miss the action.

• Hook F1TV up to a projector to simulate the big-screen race day feel right from your living room.

• Closely analyze the timing screens and data feeds to better understand gaps, pit strategies, tire wear and more.

• Subscribe annually and pause your subscription during the offseason to save money year-to-year.

• Use a VPN to access region-restricted F1TV content while traveling abroad or geo-blocked in your own country.

• Follow your favorite drivers with multiple onboard cameras to experience races from their perspective.

• When seasons end, explore F1’s archives to re-live classic title fights between Prost, Senna, Schumacher and more.

The Verdict: F1TV Provides Immersive Value for Racing Fans

As a passionate F1 supporter myself, I can confidently say an F1TV subscription is a must-have for diehard Formula 1 devotees.

The costs are totally reasonable, especially with the annual pricing working out to just around $4 per race weekend. Plus, you can try it risk-free first with the 7-day trial.

For true F1 fanatics, the sheer amount of live and archival content you get access to can‘t be matched. The onboard cameras, data feeds, and video archives give you total behind-the-scenes immersion.

While F1TV does have some geographic restrictions, using a fast and reliable VPN gives you options to bypass these limitations and access worldwide content.

At the end of the day, if you eat, sleep, and breathe Formula 1 like I do, F1TV should be your go-to source for the ultimate race day viewing experience.

Let me know if you have any other questions! I‘m always happy to share my F1TV subscription wisdom to help fellow fans get the most out of following Formula 1.