F1: How to Watch the Japanese Grand Prix 2023 for Free

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A Quick Guide: How to Watch the 2023 Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix

• Formula 1 heads to the iconic Suzuka Circuit for the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday, September 24, 2023.
• The 2023 F1 Japanese Grand Prix starts at 2:00 PM local time (GMT+9)/6:00 AM (BST)/1:00 AM (EST).

Usually, streaming F1 is easy. Especially if you have your go-to streaming platform. However, if you’re traveling abroad — whether it’s for business or vacation — tuning into this weekend’s race won’t be a walk in the park. You’ll run into geo-blocking restrictions that prevent you from accessing your usual streaming platforms.

Fortunately, there is a way to watch F1 from abroad. All you need is access to a VPN and a free streaming platform. We’ve done the legwork for you.

Just follow these steps:

1. Download Surfshark VPN.
2. Connect to a server in Luxembourg.
3. Open the RTL Zwee player and find the 2023 F1 Japanese Grand Prix.

You can get a 30-day money-back guarantee with Surfshark, allowing you to use the VPN free of charge.

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Want a full guide on how to stream this weekend’s exciting Japanese Grand Prix for free? Keep reading and we’ll show you how. We’ll also give you a quick preview of what to expect for this weekend’s race — it’s going to be a thriller!

The famous Suzuka Circuit plays host to the Japanese Grand Prix this weekend. Suzuka always has incredible racing, high-speed Qualifying laps, and predictable weather. With other teams in with a shot at winning races, there’s no better time to be tuning into F1 again.

Carlos Sainz broke Red Bull’s incredible 15-race winning streak at the Singapore Grand Prix. Red Bull struggled at the Marina Bay Circuit, and there have been rumors around the paddock that a new regulation has severely hampered them. This weekend, we’re keeping a close eye on the pecking order.

The F1 Japanese Grand Prix gets underway at 2:00 PM local time (GMT+9). That means an incredibly early Sunday morning start for fans in the U.K. where it’s lights out at (6:00 AM BST), and for fans in the U.S., it’s 1:00 AM (ET). Of course, if you don’t feel up to the early-morning challenge, you can always catch replays on some of the free platforms we’ll show you later on.

Fans will have their streams ready to go. But, if you’re overseas, you’re going to struggle to tune into your usual streaming service because of geo-blocking restrictions. Even if you’re a paying subscriber, there’s no way around these digital walls unless you use a VPN like Surfshark.

In fact, if you use a VPN, you can tune into Formula 1 races without paying a cent.

F1: Watching the Japanese Grand Prix 2023 for Free Online

Since Formula 1 is such a popular sport, there are tons of broadcasters around the world. Unfortunately, though, not all of them are great. Throughout the 2023 F1 season, our team has spent time testing out different streams to find out which one is best. Based on our experience, Luxembourg’s RTL streaming service gets us to the finish line faster than the rest — it has incredible quality, is reliable, and, of course, it’s free!

But, there is a small obstacle you need to overcome first. Geo-blocking restrictions will prevent you from accessing the stream unless you’re within Luxembourg’s tight borders. It’s a frustrating roadblock that F1 fans need to deal with if they want to stream F1 races from abroad.

Here’s the great news. You can bypass these digital walls without being in Luxembourg. You just need to use a virtual private network (VPN) to change your IP address. By connecting your VPN to a server in another country, your internet traffic will be directed through the server’s location, making it appear as if your device is located in the same region as the server.

Are you still feeling a bit unsure about how to stream the Japanese Grand Prix for free? We’ll walk you through the entire process step-by-step below!

How to Stream the 2023 Formula 1 Japanese GP for Free Step-by-Step

1. Subscribe to Surfshark VPN. With over 80 VPNs tested, our team’s favorite remains Surfshark. It’s fast and reliable, which is all you need to stream this weekend’s racing action for free. Our team has used this VPN to watch free F1 streams from all over the world — whether we were in the Netherlands, India, or the United States.
   
   

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2. Create an account. All you need to do is follow the simple instructions on-screen.
   
   
3. Install the VPN on your device. Whether you prefer to stream F1 on Mac, iOS, Android, or Windows, Surfshark has a sleek and shiny app for you. Just head over to your native OS app store and download the app on your favorite streaming device.
   
   
4. Connect to a VPN server in Luxembourg.
   
   
5. Navigate to RTL Zwee when your VPN connects.
   
   
6. Find the 2023 Japanese Grand Prix stream and enjoy a thriller of a Grand Prix!

Japanese Grand Prix 2023 Free Replay: Catch Up on F1 Races

If you’re on a side of the world where it’s just too plain early to get up and watch the Japanese Grand Prix live — we understand. Our team is scattered across the globe. Luckily, there’s a free replay waiting for you on Servus TV. You’ll follow similar steps to the above, you’ll just need to change your server.

Here’s how:

1. Get Surfshark.
2. Connect to a server in Austria.
3. Head over to Servus TV.

Free Streams for F1 Japanese Grand Prix 2023

While RTL is our favorite streaming platform for free F1 streams, it’s not your only option. Our team tested several different streams throughout the season and we’ve added the best ones to our list of alternative streams below.

Whether you’re struggling with your Luxembourg server or want to catch a replay, pick one of the streaming platforms below. Just remember to hook your VPN up to the correct server before you navigate to their website to bypass any geo-blocking restrictions.

Want to stream the race with English commentary? You’ll need a premium streaming service — we recommend Sky Sports in the UK, or Sling TV‘s Orange Package in the US.

Want more streaming options? Check out our list below.

Formula 1 Japanese 2023: Full Schedule

The F1 Japanese Grand Prix will start at 2:00 PM local time (GMT+9) on Sunday, September 24, 2023. As a reminder, here are the start times for other regions:

• United Kingdom – 6:00 AM (BST)
• United States – 1:00 AM (EST)

Here’s the full schedule for the F1 Japanese Grand Prix 2023.

2023 Japanese Grand Prix Preview: Red Bull Dominance Over?

The Singapore Grand Prix became one of the hottest races of the season so far!

Red Bull struggled right from the start — they were off the pace in all three practice sessions, and in Qualifying, their troubles continued. Sergio Perez could only manage 13th place, and Max Verstappen was holding on to 10th place until Liam Lawson knocked him out of Q2 in a shock result.

Carlos Sainz took pole position with George Russell in second, and Charles Leclerc in third.

At the start of the race, Leclerc took a gamble and started on the soft tires, which allowed him to jump Russell at the start of the race. An early safety car triggered a pitlane scramble, and Leclerc lost out — sending him down to sixth place.

As Norris, Russell, and Hamilton hunted down the Spaniard in the lead of the race, a virtual safety car caused even more chaos. The two Mercedes cars pitted for fresh tires. Sainz and Norris had a decent lead in the closing stages of the race, but the two Mercs were closing in fast. With just 5 laps to go, the top 4 were covered by just 1.8 seconds!

Carlos Sainz was playing high-speed chess, slowing his Ferrari down just enough to keep Norris within DRS range. It soon became clear that his strategy was to help tow the McLaren and give it a fighting chance against the two fast-charging Mercedes.

It seemed inevitable that Russell would overtake Norris and Sainz, but on the final lap, the Brit clipped the wall and went straight into the tire barriers — he was devastated to throw away third place.

In the end, Carlos Sainz took the first non-Red Bull victory of the season. Norris came home in second place, and Hamilton finished in third to overtake Alonso in the standings.

Miraculous rookie performance

Elsewhere, rookie Liam Lawson scored points in his third F1 race. It’s an incredible achievement for the young Kiwi, who now has the most points for the Alpha Tauri team. He’s looking good for a full-time seat with the team in 2024! Lawson is one to watch for this weekend’s race, and here’s why.

Singapore was one of the toughest circuits on the calendar, and the young rookie put out an incredible performance to take home some valuable points. He’s currently on loan from the Japanese Super Formula series. One of the most frequently visited tracks in the series is Suzuka — the venue for this weekend’s race.

With a couple of Grands Prix under his belt, Lawson is now comfortable in the car, and he’ll be on a circuit that he’s very familiar with. We could see the Kiwi pull off another incredible performance this weekend!

Where has Red Bull’s pace gone?

Red Bull has had an incredible season, obviously. But Singapore was the first race of the season where they didn’t take victory.

They now have the all-time record for consecutive wins — a streak of 15 race wins and 301 days.

If they had secured a 1-2 finish in Singapore, they would have sealed the Constructor’s title. If they want to do it this weekend, they’ll need a 1-2 finish and the fastest lap to net a total of 44 points.

So, what happened in Singapore? There’s been a lot of questions.

Just before the weekend, a new Technical Directive came in that issued stricter testing on flexi-wings. Rumors have been running through the paddock that this is what impacted Red Bull in Singapore, but we can’t be 100% sure. Suzuka is a circuit that suits the Red Bull car, so if they’re still struggling this weekend, then we can determine whether the new TD has had a severe impact on them, or if it was just a blip in their performance.

As a quick reminder, here’s how to watch this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix for free:

1. Install Surfshark.
2. Connect your VPN to a server in Luxembourg.
3. Go to the RTL Zwee player and stream the F1 Japanese Grand Prix!

F1 2023 Driver Standings

These are the driver’s standings heading into the 2023 F1 Japanese Grand Prix.

Neal Venter Author

Sports Journalist

Neal is our leading motorsports reporter at VPNOverview whose admiration of Formula 1 and MotoGP led to his own amateur career as a racecar driver. His well-rounded knowledge in the world of sports has allowed him to accurately cover key streaming events, including Champions League, Premier League, NFL, and the NBA. As a core member of our team, he also has a passion and interest in covering the latest in technology, cybersecurity, and internet privacy and freedom.

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