How watch live streams of F1 for free online in 2026

U.S. fans can learn how watch live streams of Formula 1 for free by using Apple TV free trials—via Apple, Prime Video Channels, or Apple One—then canceling before billing. Apple TV holds exclusive U.S. F1 rights; trials cover select race weekends including the Hungarian Grand Prix.

The 2026 season is a reset year. Major regulation changes have scrambled the order, Mercedes sit at the front of the pack, and defending champion Lando Norris—plus a hungry McLaren after the 2025 Constructors’ title—face a long list of contenders. For viewers who grew up chasing races on cable or patchy illegal feeds, the question now is simpler: how watch live streams legally without paying full freight.

That shift sits squarely in our Nostalgia: Then & Now beat—old-school appointment viewing meeting today’s trial-and-cancel streaming playbook. Here is what the latest guides say works this weekend and across the rest of the calendar.

Key Takeaways

• In the U.S., Formula 1 is exclusive to Apple TV at $12.99 a month or $99 a year after any trial.
• New Apple TV, Apple TV via Prime Video Channels (7 days), and Apple One (30 days) trials can cover select race weekends for free if you cancel before renewal.
• Apple once opened the full Austrian Grand Prix weekend—practice, qualifying, and the race—with no subscription required.
• The Hungarian Grand Prix race is scheduled for 9 a.m. ET on July 26, with practice and qualifying earlier in the weekend.
• Buying eligible new Apple hardware can unlock three months of Apple TV for new subscribers, covering a large stretch of the season.

When is the Hungarian GP, and can you stream it free?

The Hungarian Grand Prix is the 11th round of the 2026 championship. Mashable’s weekend rundown lists Friday practice windows at 7:30–8:30 a.m. ET and 11 a.m.–12 p.m. ET on July 24, a Saturday practice at 6:30–7:30 a.m. ET on July 25, qualifying from 10–11 a.m. ET that same day, and the race at 9 a.m. ET on July 26 at the Hungaroring.

Storylines heading into Budapest remain lively. Mercedes have been the team to beat, though tension between George Russell and the squad has been hard to miss. Kimi Antonelli won again at the Belgian Grand Prix and stretched his margin over Lewis Hamilton, while Ferrari keep chipping away at the gap. Fans who want every session without opening their wallets can still lean on the free-trial routes below.

For a full season map—24 Grands Prix from March through December, plus sprint weekends in China, Miami, Canada, Britain, the Netherlands, and Singapore—see Mashable’s how to watch F1 live streams online for free guide.

How watch live streams of F1 on Apple TV trials?

Apple TV is the exclusive U.S. home for F1 in 2026. A standard subscription is $12.99 monthly or $99 yearly. New standalone subscribers still get a 7-day free trial through Apple’s app—enough to catch a full race weekend if you time signup for Friday practice and cancel before the trial ends.

Already on Amazon Prime? You can add Apple TV as a Prime Video Channel and start a separate 7-day free trial. Mashable’s Hungarian GP explainer notes that path lets you watch select races—including this weekend’s Budapest round—inside the Prime Video app. After seven days the channel typically bills at $12.99 a month, so turn off auto-renew immediately if you only want the free window.

No Prime membership yet? Amazon’s 30-day free trial for new users can be stacked with that seven-day Apple TV channel trial, so the weekend truly costs nothing while both offers remain active. Pricing and trial eligibility change, and Mashable flags that deal availability can shift after publication.

Which longer free trials stretch across more race weekends?

Apple One packages Apple TV with Apple Music, Apple Arcade, Apple Fitness+, Apple News+, and 50GB of iCloud storage. New or returning subscribers to each included service can claim a one-month free trial before the plan hits $19.95 a month. Timed well, that month can span up to four race weekends without a paid Apple TV line.

The most generous consumer offer is tied to hardware. Buy an eligible new iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple TV, and new Apple TV subscribers can receive three months free. That promo opens for 90 days after device activation—potentially a big slice of the remaining 2026 calendar if you were upgrading anyway.

Earlier this season, Apple also made the entire Austrian Grand Prix weekend free in the U.S. with no subscription—practice, qualifying, and Sunday’s race included. That one-off does not replace trials for later rounds, but it showed how “how watch live streams” access can briefly open without any login wall.

Why does free F1 streaming matter in 2026?

Formula One remains the top tier of open-wheel racing: Grands Prix on purpose-built tracks and closed streets worldwide. Norris is the defending drivers’ champion after a last-day title win in 2025, and McLaren took the Constructors’ crown that year. With new rules reshuffling the grid, George Russell, Antonelli, Charles Leclerc, Hamilton, and others are all in the win conversation.

For casual fans, the barrier used to be finding a legal feed at all. Today the barrier is knowing which trial unlocks Apple’s exclusive U.S. package before race day. Use the Prime Video Channel or standalone Apple TV 7-day trial for a single weekend such as Hungary; use Apple One’s 30-day trial or a hardware-linked three-month promo when you want a longer stretch.

Cancel before the free period ends if you do not want the $12.99 monthly charge. Then settle in for lights out—whether you are rediscovering the sport you watched with family decades ago or catching Antonelli’s rise in real time.