F1 2021 Calendar: Full Grand Prix Schedule and How To Watch on TV

Photo: MARCA

The F1 2021 calendar turns its attention to Spain this weekend, as the teams return to their most familiar track in Barcelona.

The Catalan track is the usual base for winter testing, meaning F1 teams have more than enough data to know their way around the circuit with their eyes closed (though that probably isn’t advisable at 200mph).

Lewis Hamilton leads the Driver Standings going into the fourth race weekend, after racking up two wins in the opening two races.

Mercedes appeared to have been reeled in by Red Bull in the opening couple of races, but the German constructors struck back with an emphatic performance in Portugal last time out.

Alpine have started to demonstrate improvements in their debut season after being rebranded from Renault. Spanish icon Fernando Alonso will be determined to light up his home circuit this weekend, while teammate Esteban Ocon has produced some highly encouraging displays.

Alonso’s compatriot Carlos Sainz Jr also returns to his homeland, this time with Ferrari, who have shown plenty of promise after a dismal 2020 season.

Formula 1 2021 schedule

Photo: F1-Fansite

In all, there are 23 scheduled races in the 2021 F1 season, with the Portuguese Grand Prix the last race added, sliding onto the docket the first week in March. The originally scheduled Vietnam Grand Prix was removed after the arrest of Nguyen Duc Chung, while the Chinese Grand Prix is currently up in the air. It was originally scheduled for April 11, but will likely not take place this season.

All races will be broadcast on the U.S. side on the ESPN family of networks, with the United States Grand Prix and Mexico City Grand Prix both airing on ABC.

Please note: The on-the-hour start times are indicative of the start of the TV broadcast, while lights out has traditionally occurred 10 minutes after the broadcast start times. Times do not include ESPN's customary pre-race broadcasts.

Here's the latest schedule:

How to watch Formula 1 on TV

You can watch every practice, qualifying and race session live on Sky Sports F1.

Sky customers can add individual channels for just £18 per month or add the complete sports package to their deal for just £23 per month.

One race – the British Grand Prix on 18th July 2021 – will be shown live on Channel 4.

How to watch every F1 race for free in the UK

Sky showing live races

Extended qualifying, plus highlights on Channel 4 shown 2.5 hours after live race ends

Just when we were worried that F1 was about to become exclusively a pay-to-watch sport, a reprieve meant fans can still watch - albeit highlights only and not live - on Channel 4 in the UK.

Sky still has the exclusive rights to show live races in the UK (as well as Italy and now Germany), meaning the only coverage on free-to-air TV in the UK will be available on Channel 4.

How to watch F1 races on Sky and NowTV

Photo: TechRadar

If you’re happy to pay a subscription fee so you can watch entire races live, then Sky is the only option in the UK. While Liberty operates an online streaming service – F1 TV Pro – you can’t watch it in the UK because of Sky’s exclusive deal.

You can get Sky Sports F1 for £18 per month (or £10 per month for 18 months if you're a new customer) on top of your normal Sky package, or Complete Sports (all the sports channels) for £25 per month, again for an 18-month contract.

If you'd rather not sign up to Sky TV because you only want F1 then there is an alternative: you can subscribe via Sky’s streaming service, Now TV. That’s available on your phone, tablet, games consoles, via a web browser and also via a Now TV streaming stick.

It isn't much cheaper though: it's £33.99 per month for the Sky Sports Pass, although there is currently an offer which gets you the first three months for £25 per month.

How to watch F1 online with a VPN

If you're not in the same country as the TV broadcaster, you won't be able to watch F1 online without a VPN. For example, you can no longer watch abroad using the Sky Go app on your phone or tablet because of Brexit.

Similarly, you can't watch highlights on the All 4 app unless you use a VPN with a UK server.

We recommend using NordVPN, Surfshark, CyberGhost and Private Internet Access.

A VPN makes it appear that you're located in the same country as the broadcaster when you connect to a server in the appropriate country.

Formula 1 results 2021

28th March – Bahrain Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)

18th April – Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix

Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

Lando Norris (McLaren)

2nd May – Portuguese Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)

*******READ MORE: Champions League Final 2021: Date, How to watch, TV channel, Live Stream and Odds

Formula 1 teams 2021

Mercedes are back and they mean business once again with their W12 car aiming to continue their untouchable streak of form.

Despite Max Verstappen’s best efforts in 2020, his Red Bull simply couldn’t come close to a credible world title challenge, but with Racing Point rebranded as Aston Martin and McLaren on the rise, the competitive midfield battle could force one or two teams to step up a gear and challenge at the top.

Ferrari will be desperate to bounce back from a horrendous season, while Haas will also hope for improvements and Williams continue to search for points following a dismal 2020.

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