Watch Formula 1 without Sky (completely legal & free)

October 25, 2024

Since 2021, Formula 1 races in Germany have only been broadcast on pay channel Sky. The license fees were too high for RTL. Nevertheless, there are several legal possibilities, in Watching Formula 1 without Sky in 2022. Because the German-language stations SRF from Switzerland and the ORF and ServusTV from Austria continue to broadcast the F1 races on free TV. To do this, you must use one of the methods presented here to Geoblocks the supplier to circumvent the Formula 1 without Sky to be able to watch in Germany.

Watch Formula 1 without Sky: Access the media library of ORF,SRF or Servus TV via VPN

Many viewers from other countries want to watch ServusTV via the media center. It is equipped with a geo-blocker, but this can be bypassed very easily.

Because geoblocking only works by means of IP detection. The ServusTV, ORF or SRF servers check where the user is coming from. If the provider detects an IP from Austria (Servus TV, ORF) or Switzerland (SRF), the live stream is started. If, on the other hand, the IP is foreign, the geo-blocker blocks access.

However, there are methods to easily change your IP address. One of the most practical options is a VPN service. The VPN changes the IP address visible to the server. Thus, it is possible to encrypt geo-blocked content such as ServusTV or ORF to bypass.

One of the best VPN provider for Austria and Switzerland is NordVPN. Because NordVPN is with its new Nordlynx Protokoll rasend schnell. Zudem ist der Dienst sicher (Militärstandard-Verschlüsselung) und bietet zahlreiche österreichische oder Schweizer Server. Sollte es (in seltenen Fällen) zu Blockierungen beim Streaming von F1 Rennen kommen, kannst du dich unproblematisch mit einem anderen Server aus deinem Wunschland verbinden um die Blockade aufzuheben.

Watch Formula 1 without Sky in 3 steps

The whole process takes less than 5 minutes and allows you to watch the programs live, no matter where you are.

All you need for this: A streaming-capable device (for example, a smartphone or laptop) and the VPN program. By the way, NordVPN is also available as an app for TV or smartphone. You can even install it directly on your router to route all your home network traffic through the VPN.

Watch Formula 1 without Sky: buy ORF card on ebay

If you want to receive ServusTV not only online, but also via TV, you need an "ORF Digital" card. However, these cards can only be purchased in Austria. According to the broadcaster, the cards are only issued to people with their registered office and GIS location in Austria.

However, the ORF and the GIS (the equivalent of the GEZ) will issue multiple cards upon request.

So if you know someone in Austria, you can ask them to request an ORF card and then send it to Germany. Although this is not welcomed by the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation, we are not aware of any case in which this would result in any consequences. In addition, it is also not possible via SAT-TV to track from where someone watches the TV channel.

Also on eBay there are rows and rows of ORF cards. These are resold online at a high price - one card costs between 200€ and 300€. If you don't have any acquaintances in Austria who are allowed to request a card, this would also be an option.

Watch Formula 1 without Sky: TOR Browser with end node Switzerland or Austria

The Servus TV Verschlüsselung ist auch in 2023 nur äußerst schwach. Während der ORF Traffic über den Tor Browser blockt, kann die ServusTV Verschlüsselung nach wie vor mit dem TOR-Browser umgangen werden. Hierzu musst du den letzten Knoten in Österreich oder der Schweiz platzieren. Dazu fügst du in der Torrc file located in the installation directory of your Tor browser, add the following line:

ExitNodes {at} StrictNodes 1 // for Austria

ExitNodes {ch} StrictNodes 1 // for Switzerland

This causes Tor to set the last node in Austria. The "1" means that TOR will not allow an alternative country if a node in Austria is not available. For detailed instructions on how to configure the Tor browser, see this WikiHow. With this method, you should still keep in mind that your privacy is not very well protected. It is possible for hackers to find out what sites you visit and what you do there with similar simple means.

All live races at a glance

Here you will learn where you can find all Watch F1 races in 2023 even without Sky you can. All races that you watch via SRF ServusTV or ORF can be watched via a VPN. To do this, you connect to an Austrian or Swiss server with a VPN and can then stream ORF and SRF for free.

In the article Bypass ORF encryption and Servus TV Encryption you will learn several proven methods how to bypass the providers' geo-locks legally and for free.

Another advantage of SRF or ORF : Much less advertising than on RTL

The Swiss SRF and the Austrian ORF bring much less advertising than was the case with RTL. So you can enjoy the race much more. Watching Formula 1 without Sky is also possible without advertising via a powerful VPN. Get yourself NordVPN to enjoy the Formula 1 races in 2023 and beyond without any restrictions. The use of VPNs is legal and the channels SRF and ORF are free of charge.