Free China F1 live stream: Where to watch the Formula One Shanghai GP
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Round two of the new F1 season has already had plenty of action this weekend in Shanghai, with Lewis Hamilton winning Saturday's Sprint race for his first victory at Ferrari. Speaking of firsts, McLaren's Oscar Piastri starts on pole for the first time today. Formula 1 is shaping up nicely so far in 2025, so now's a great time to check it out with us. Here's everything you need to know about where to watch the China F1 live stream for free wherever you are in the world.
As also detailed in our season-long free F1 live stream guide, we can help you watch every race (plus qualifying and Sprints) via similar options to the ones below, along with some local paid options. We also thoroughly recommend the UK's free extended highlights show, which replays almost the entire race.
The Shanghai GP is streaming for free in some countries, and we can show you how to get around geo-restrictions that block international viewers. We'll dive into greater detail below, but essentially, if you want to join in from overseas, you'll need a VPN to spoof your viewing device's location to match the broadcast. It's super simple to get going, and you'll be able to use this same method to watch every race this season, along with even more streaming opportunities like:
Where to watch a free China F1 live stream
This weekend's simplest option for a free China GP live stream is using a VPN to tune into one of the free streams mentioned above. If you miss the live race, the extended highlights show from the UK is a great alternative.
Our preferred option among the best VPN providers is ExpressVPN, with a 30-day money-back guarantee if you're unsatisfied. Better yet, you can get an extra four months for free and save 61% on a subscription. Check out our ExpressVPN review for more information on the security app.
We've consistently used these free F1 live streams for the last few seasons and have double-checked VPN compatibility with each channel's scheduled programming to ensure the race is on. These channels feature every race, except the Austrian option, as races alternate each week between ORF1 and Servus TV - ORF1 has this week's free F1 live stream.
How to watch free China F1 live streams with a VPN
Are there extended China F1 highlights later?
In the UK, Channel 4 has extended highlights a few hours after the race on Sunday, March 23, at 8 a.m. ET / 1 p.m. BST / 2 p.m. CET / 8 p.m. AWST (Mon). Also available to watch on-demand later.
While this highlights show usually includes plenty of discussion and interviews before and after the race, an excellent proportion of the runtime is usually dedicated to the race itself. This week's show is a very decent 2.5 hours, so you should essentially see most of the race with only minor edits for time. It'll also greatly shorten any delays due to crashes, which, given rain is forecast in Melbourne, might be a great timesaver.
You can also watch these highlights on-demand the day after. That said, we sometimes notice that this version is shorter than the usual highlights program.
You can tune in on the Channel 4 website online and use a VPN as outlined above to watch from outside the UK.
How to watch China F1 live stream in the US
ESPN is your home for all things F1 in the US for the 2025 season. Consider these cord-cutting services if you don't have it with your current setup. Sling TV's Orange tier is usually $43 a month, but a special offer knocks your first month down to $23. FuboTV is another option and comes with a 7-day free trial and a $35 discount this week on your first month of the Essential tier, which is the cheapest they have with ESPN. DirecTV Stream is a comprehensive cord-cutting streamer with a new sports-centric bundle available for $69.99 a month after the free trial.
For more information on these services, check out our Sling vs. Fubo comparison guide and our DirecTV stream review. We've tested them all, and they all come highly recommended in our best sports streaming services roundup.
How to watch China F1 live stream in the UK
Want a free option? Channel 4 runs an excellent extended highlights show (see above) a few hours after each race, which is a solid alternative given the length of the show. They even do qualifying highlights a few hours after that wraps up the day before, too.
If you want to see everything live, a Sky Sports deal is your best bet, and this is a great way to get it in glorious 4K, too. Sky covers every race weekend, so you won't need to switch between it and other networks as you do for the Premier League.
If you don't want a traditional TV contract and prefer a monthly option you can drop whenever you wish, Sky's Now TV offshoot has a Sky Sports tier that costs £14.99 for a day pass, or £34.99 a month.
The main appeal of Now TV is it runs on a rolling one-month contract, but if you need it every week, it's arguably a better deal to get a proper Sky Sports package as you'll get way more bang for your buck.
Note: Using VPNs is illegal in certain countries, and using VPNs to access region-locked streaming content might constitute a breach of the terms of use for certain services. Business Insider does not endorse or condone the illegal use of VPNs.