How to watch Australian Grand Prix 2026 F1: free stream, preview, schedule, starting grid, Russell leads Mercedes front row with Verstappen 20th

• Australian GP (6-8 March)
• Sunday's race: 4:00 am GMT / 11:00 pm ET (Sat.)
• Free stream: 10Play (AUS) / Servus TV (AUT)
• Stream safely and securely with Surfshark VPN (7-days free)

Watch Australian Grand Prix 2026 live streams for the first glimpse into what could be a fruitful season for the Silver Arrows, as George Russell and Kimi Antonelli lock out the front row for the season opener at Albert Park in Melbourne.

Max Verstappen was indeed very right when he said during pre-season testing that Mercedes would be the benchmark, as the qualifying session largely became a fight between Russell and Antonelli for pole. In the end, the more senior driver took the prize, snatching provisional pole away from the 19-year-old by going +0.293s quicker.

Even more frightening for the other 10 teams is the gap Mercedes managed to create. Isack Hadjar, who delivered a superb performance for Red Bull and secured the best qualifying result of his career with third place, finished +0.785s behind Russell. Charles Leclerc was right behind him in fourth, just 0.024s off. Hometown hero Oscar Piastri will start fifth, while defending champion Lando Norris lines up sixth on the grid.

The biggest shock of the first qualifying session of the season was Verstappen’s crash. The Red Bull driver slammed into the wall after his rear axle locked up – something he said had never happened to him before. Verstappen also appeared frustrated with the new regulations, saying he feels “completely empty” while driving and that he’ll enjoy GT3 racing more than Formula One.

Several top drivers, including Leclerc, Norris, and Lewis Hamilton, have already admitted that beating Mercedes will be a very tough task this season. Even Hadjar admitted that his focus will simply be on holding onto third place, with both Norris and Leclerc suggesting that, at least for now, the top two spots may already belong to Mercedes.

Elsewhere, rookie Arvid Lindblad impressed with a strong debut qualifying performance, securing ninth place on the grid. Audi also exceeded expectations, with both of their cars finishing 10th and 11th.

Here’s how to watch the Australian Grand Prix 2026 online from anywhere and potentially for FREE.

Australian Grand Prix starting grid

1) George Russell - Mercedes

2) Kimi Antonelli - Mercedes

3) Isack Hadjar - Red Bull

4) Charles Leclerc - Ferrari

5) Oscar Piastri - McLaren

6) Lando Norris - McLaren

7) Lewis Hamilton - Ferrari

8) Liam Lawson - Racing Bulls

9) Arvid Lindblad - Racing Bulls

10) Gabriel Bortoleto - Audi

11) Nico Hulkenberg - Audi

12) Oliver Bearman - Haas

13) Esteban Ocon - Haas

14) Pierre Gasly - Alpine

15) Alex Albon - Williams

16) Franco Colapinto - Alpine

17) Fernando Alonso - Aston Martin

18) Sergio Perez - Cadillac

19) Valtteri Bottas - Cadillac

20) Max Verstappen - Red Bull

21) Carlos Sainz - Williams

22) Lance Stroll - Aston Martin

Australian Grand Prix 2026 Schedule

Practice 1: Friday, March 6 | 1:30am GMT / 8:30pm ET (Thu.) – Leclerc fastest
Practice 2: Friday, March 6 | 5am GMT / 12am ET – Piastri fastest
Practice 3: Saturday, March 7 | 1:30am GMT / 8:30pm ET (Fri.) – Russell fastest
Qualifying: Saturday, March 7 | 5am GMT / 12am ET – Russell pole
Australian Grand Prix: Sunday, March 8 | 4am GMT / 11pm ET (Sat.)

How to watch the Australian Grand Prix 2026 for FREE

The 2026 Australian Grand Prix isn't available for free in every country. However, in these select destinations lucky F1 fans can catch the entire race/highlights for FREE.

• Australia – 10Play (free live broadcast)
• Austria – Servus TV  (free live broadcast)
• Belgium – RTBF Auvio (free live broadcast)
• Canada – CTV (free highlights)
• Luxembourg – RTL Zwee (free live broadcast)
• UK – Channel 4 (free highlights)
• US – Apple TV (free trial) (free live broadcast of every Practice session)

Traveling abroad during the 2026 Australian Grand Prix? You can use a VPN to watch all the action free of charge as if you were right at home.

How to watch the Australian Grand Prix 2026 from anywhere

🌎 ABROAD? The Australian Grand Prix 2026 is broadcast in many countries around the world but if you're traveling outside your country you should consider using one of the best VPNs to unlock your domestic streaming service provided it does not infringe any terms and conditions.

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It's an excellent VPN for streaming and online security, and perfect for watching the 2026 F1 Australian Grand Prix from anywhere, when on the move (where terms allow).

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How to watch the Australian Grand Prix 2026 in the US

Apple TV is the new home to watch F1, including the Australian Grand Prix, in the United States.

F1 TV will be bundled with your Apple TV subscription at no additional cost. Subscriptions start at $12.99 per month or $99 per year. Even better, new Apple TV subscribers get a handy 7-day FREE trial.

If you want to catch the F1 Australian Grand Prix but are traveling outside North America, make sure to use Surfshark to access your usual services securely.

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How to watch the Australian GP 2026 in the UK

In the UK, Sky Sports F1 will stream the Australian Grand Prix 2026 from March 6-8.

Sky Sports packages start from £22 per month. Or you can use a more flexible streaming option, Now, (formerly Now TV). Now sports passes start at £14.99.

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How to watch the Australian Grand Prix 2026 in Australia

Australia's 10Play streaming platform will be showing the full Australian GP, including all practice sessions and qualifying, for completely FREE.

Aussie F1 fans can also use Fox Sports via Kayo (free trial) for full HD coverage and multi-screen viewing options.

Kayo offers two plans: Standard and Premium. The Standard plan starts at AU$29.99 per month (just AU$9.99 for your first month).

Traveling outside Oz? Australian F1 fans can still watch the F1 2026 season on their usual stream by using Surfshark VPN (it comes with a free trial, too).

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How to watch the Australian Grand Prix 2026 in Canada

Canadian F1 fans can watch the F1 2026 season, including the Australian Grand Prix, on TSN.

If you’ve ditched the cord, you’ll want to check out TSN Plus, which costs $8/month or $80/year. The TSN app will allow you to live stream F1 practices, qualifying and the race from your phone, streaming box or supported device.

Use Surfshark to if you're outside the country for one of the races.

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Australian Grand Prix 2026 Preview

Weekend Warm-Up | 2026 Australian Grand Prix - YouTube

Watch On

Australian Grand Prix preview

A new era for Formula 1 begins at Albert Park, Melbourne, with the sport's most transformative season in years also starting with a first-time defending champion in the form of McLaren's Lando Norris.

The season opener is the first chance to see how major rule changes designed to improve wheel-to-wheel racing – such as smaller, lighter cars and Overtake Mode replacing DRS – affect drivers and cars alike on a circuit that features several long straights and high-speed corners. The build-up has also been complicated by significant travel disruptions affecting flights out of the Middle East, with some crew reportedly enduring journeys lasting 45 to 60 hours.

This weekend will also mark several firsts. American car manufacturer Cadillac will make its Formula 1 debut, expanding the grid to 22 cars. Meanwhile, German manufacturer Audi officially enters the championship after taking over the Sauber team. Oh, and the paddock will see one newcomer: 18-year-old British driver Arvid Lindblad, who will race for Red Bull’s sister team, Racing Bulls.

Formula 1 2026 schedule

• 6-8 March: Australia
• 13-15 March: China
• 27-29 March: Japan
• 10-12 April: Bahrain
• 17-19 April: Saudi Arabia
• 1-3 May: Miami
• 22-24 May: Canada
• 5-7 June: Monaco
• 12-14 June: Barcelona
• 26-28 June: Austria
• 3-5 July: Great Britain
• 17-19 July: Belgium
• 24-26 July: Hungary
• 21-23 August: Netherlands
• 4-6 September: Italy
• 11-13 September: Madrid
• 24-26 September: Azerbaijan
• 9-11 October: Singapore
• 23-25 October: USA
• 30 October–1 November: Mexico
• 6-8 November: Brazil
• 19-21 November: Las Vegas
• 27-29 November: Qatar
• 4-6 December: Abu Dhabi

F1 driver lineup (2026 season)

McLaren: Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri

Mercedes: George Russell and Kimi Antonelli

Red Bull: Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar

Ferrari: Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton

Williams: Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon

Racing Bulls: Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad

Aston Martin: Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll

Haas: Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman

Audi: Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto

Alpine: Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto

Cadillac: Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas

Our full guide to the F1 2026 drivers – from rookies to regulars

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