After a long break, the Formula 1 season is back with a bang in Baku! The 2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix goes green on Sunday, April 30, 2023 at 3:00 PM (GMT+4)/7:00 AM (EST)/12:00 PM (BST).
This weekend will also host the first F1 Sprint race of the season on Saturday, April 29.
You can watch all the F1 action from Azerbaijan for free. Just follow these steps.
Keep reading for help on setting up a VPN and accessing more live streams. We’ll also take a look at the new F1 Sprint format, the Baku curse, and who’s in top form this season.
Fans have endured an extended spring break, but Formula 1 is heading back to the city streets this weekend for the 2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
There will be a twist in Baku regarding the first F1 Sprint of the season. Some tweaks in the sprint format should lead to more high-octane and high-action Saturdays. We’ll break down that new format and have the full 2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix schedule later on.
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix goes green at 3:00 PM (GMT+4) local time on Sunday, April 30. The timezones are kind to Formula 1 fans in the U.K., who get a lunchtime race start at 12:00 PM (BST). However, U.S. fans will need to get their coffee ready because the race starts at 7:00 AM (EST).
Want to watch the action from the streets of Baku for free? We’ve got you covered.
How to Watch the 2023 F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix Free
Through our extensive testing, we’ve found that F1 fans in Luxembourg can watch every race of the 2023 season online for free with the RTL Player. We were able to stream F1 races from Luxembourg, too. We just needed a little help from a VPN (virtual private network).
A VPN is a cybersecurity tool that changes your IP address (among other things) so you can bypass geo-restrictions. When you connect to a VPN server located in Luxembourg, you can access the RTL Player as if you were in the country and watch the 2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix for free.
We’ll show you how below.
Step-by-step guide: How to live stream the 2023 Formula 1 Azerbaijan GP free with a VPN
- Get Surfshark VPN. We were able to connect to Luxembourg in a flash and then get to streaming Formula 1 seamlessly.
- Create an account and install it on your device. With Surfshark, you have plenty of options. From Android and iOS to Mac and Windows, they’ve got every major device covered. With unlimited connections across multiple devices, you can even share with other F1 fans.
- Log into the account you created. As soon as you launch the VPN app, you will be asked to enter your login details — just follow the on-screen instructions.
- Connect your VPN to a server located in Luxembourg.
- Open your browser and navigate to RTL Zwee from your brand-new Luxembourg IP address.
- Find the 2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix and enjoy a thriller of a race on the Baku Street Circuit!
2023 Formula 1 Azerbaijan: Free Streams
Free streams aren’t just limited to Luxembourg. We’ve found and tested F1 streams from Austria, Switzerland, and Italy, to name a few.
If you prefer English commentary, you can use a paid alternative like SlingTV‘s Orange Package or Sky Sports in the U.K.
Below, we’ve put together some of the best free live streams for Formula 1 races in 2023. Before you head over to the website, make sure your VPN is connected to the relevant country’s server.
| COUNTRY | ONLINE BROADCASTER | STREAMS | REQUIREMENTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luxembourg (Recommended) | RTL ZWEE | Live coverage of all 23 races | None |
| Belgium | RTBF | Live coverage of all 23 races | Email, name, birthday, Belgian postcode |
| Brazil | Band | Live coverage of all 23 races | Email, name, birthday |
| Austria | Servus TV | Limited live streams and replays | None |
| Switzerland | Play SRF | Limited live streams and replays | None |
| Albania | RTSH | Limited live streams | None |
| Italy | TV8 | Replays | None |
| United Kingdom | Channel 4 | Watch Highlights | Email, name, and UK address |
| United States | SlingTV YouTube TV DIRECTV STREAM FuboTV | Live coverage of all 23 races | Subscription (Free Trials) |
2023 Formula 1 Azerbaijan Full Schedule
The F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix will start at 3:00 PM local time (GMT+4) on Sunday, Apr. 30, 2023, at the Baku City Street Circuit. Qualifying is on Friday, and don’t miss out on the Sprint race this Saturday!
Check out the full F1 Azerbaijan schedule below:
| Event | Date | Local time (GMT+4) |
|---|---|---|
| Free Practice 1 | Friday, April 28, 2023 | 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM |
| Qualifying | Friday, April 28, 2023 | 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM |
| Sprint Shootout | Saturday, April 29, 2023 | 12:30 PM – 1:14 PM |
| Sprint | Saturday, April 29, 2023 | 5:30 PM – 6:00 PM |
| Grand Prix Race | Sunday, April 30, 2023 | 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM |
2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix: What to Expect
In Australia, Max Verstappen took victory, followed by Lewis Hamilton in second, while Fernando Alonso took third. It might sound like business as usual, but the GP Down Under was a wild one. There were a record-breaking three red flags, teammate crashes, and confusion over a race restart with just two laps to go.
Baku is set to be just as jaw-dropping this weekend, so let’s get up to speed.
Who’s fast in Baku?
First of all, who can we expect to take Baku? It’s a street circuit, but it’s got some long straights and fast sections, which naturally suits Red Bull the best. Red Bull seems to have figured out a trick with their DRS system, and their car is mighty fast on the straights. Red Bull has also brought an upgraded sidepod to this weekend’s race — the improved aero might aid their top speed even more.
Aston Martin should be up there as usual, and their car will likely be stronger in the tight and twisty middle sector. They won’t be challenging Red Bull on pure pace, but if mistakes are made, Alonso and Stroll will be eagerly waiting to pounce.
Ferrari has been struggling all season, so we can’t expect them to be in contention for victories just yet. They have a big upgrade package planned for the following race in Imola, so we’ll see if they can make some improvements in the meantime.
That just leaves Mercedes. The British team was strong in Australia, with both George Russell and Lewis Hamilton giving Verstappen some trouble throughout the race. Although it’s an entirely different circuit, we might see the Silver Arrows back in contention this weekend.
Of course, the “Baku Curse” is something that might be at the back of drivers’ minds. No one has won more than once at the circuit ever since its first race in 2016. Here are the winners so far:
- 2016: Nico Rosberg
- 2017: Daniel Ricciardo
- 2018: Lewis Hamilton
- 2019: Valtteri Bottas
- 2020: Not held due to Covid-19
- 2021: Sergio Perez
- 2022: Max Verstappen
Brand new F1 Sprint layout
We’re set for the first F1 Sprint race of the season this weekend, and the format has been slightly altered for 2023. The main concern was that drivers could be out of commission for the GP if something went sideways during the high-stakes, shorter race. Previously, Sprints would decide the starting grid for the Grand Prix, though that’s no longer the case.
The Free Practice 2 session that was held on Saturday mornings is now replaced by the Sprint Shootout. The Sprint Shootout is a “mini” qualifying session specifically to decide the starting grid for the Sprint. The session is much shorter than standard qualifying, lasting just 45 minutes instead of an hour.
Qualifying for the main Grand Prix remains on Friday afternoon, with a single practice session held on Friday morning. This means that the Sprint no longer has an impact on the main event as it did previously. There’s no change to the points-scoring structure, however. Here’s a quick reminder of the points on the line for the Sprint race:
| Place | Points |
|---|---|
| 1st | 8 |
| 2nd | 7 |
| 3rd | 6 |
| 4th | 5 |
| 5th | 4 |
| 6th | 3 |
| 7th | 2 |
| 8th | 1 |
2023 Driver Standings
Here’s what the driver standings look like going into Azerbaijan Grand Prix:
| Position | Driver (team) | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Verstappen (Red Bull) | 69 |
| 2 | Sergio Perez (Red Bull) | 54 |
| 3 | Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) | 45 |
| 4 | Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) | 38 |
| 5 | Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) | 20 |
