After a three-week hiatus, F1 racing resumes this weekend, with the peak of motorsport landing in Montreal, Canada.
In the US, Apple has exclusive streaming rights to all F1, so an Apple TV subscription is usually required to watch. But this weekend is an outlier, as Apple has struck a special deal with Netflix that will also air the race on the rival streamer.
Apple and Netflix have negotiated a straight deal to make the latest season of Drive to Survive available on Apple TV in the US. In exchange, Netflix won the rights to simulcast the Canadian race, marking the first time Netflix has broadcast the race in its entirety live.
That means both Apple TV and Netflix subscribers in the US will be able to tune in to follow all the action. The Canadian Grand Prix is a sprint weekend, so there will be more racing than usual, with competitive sessions spread over Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The schedule is as follows.
- Free Practice: Friday, May 22nd, 12pm ET
- Sprint Qualifier: Friday, May 22, 4:00 PM ET
- Sprint: Saturday, May 23rd, 11am ET
- Qualifiers: Saturday, May 23rd, 3:00 PM ET
- Race: Sunday, May 24th, 3:00 PM ET
You can watch practice sessions for free on Apple TV. Subscription required for qualifying, sprints, and races. Netflix’s F1 Canadian GP coverage is available to all US members on any plan.
How to watch F1 on Apple TV
You can watch F1 on Apple TV with an Apple TV subscription. New subscribers can take advantage of a 7-day free trial here. There are no additional costs to watch F1 on top of your standard $12.99 monthly Apple TV subscription.
The Apple TV app is available on a myriad of devices and platforms, including smart TVs, Amazon Fire Stick, Roku, PlayStation, Xbox, and more. There’s also an Android app and web experience at tv.apple.com, so you can watch in your web browser.
Apple streams F1 in 4K HDR video quality with surround sound audio for a superior visual and audio experience.
It’s very easy to find as it has a dedicated Formula 1 tab within the Apple TV app experience. However, please note that this is only available to US subscribers. Apple also hosts on-demand replays, so you don’t have to watch live.
However, the best way to watch live is with an Apple TV 4K set-top box or iPad. You can watch using Multiview on your Apple TV box or iPad. This means showing multiple angles at once during a live race. Track the in-car cameras of your favorite drivers and your favorite teams, and watch the main race feed and podium battles in split-screen.
For even more features, you can also link your Apple TV subscription to your F1.TV account and access F1 through the F1.TV app. This is for enthusiasts who want more functionality to view stats and additional content that Apple doesn’t display directly through the TV app.
Apple is also looking to expand the F1 experience beyond video streams. Listen to radio broadcasts through Apple Music Radio and watch live time in the Apple Sports app. All of these are free.
