How to watch F1 in the Netherlands for free

Dutch race fans can watch live F1 matches using the exclusive broadcaster called Viaplay. While it offers a free 7-day trial for new users, it costs from €19.99/month after, which can become expensive.

However, you can use a VPN to access streaming services that offer live F1 races free in other countries, like SRF zwei in Switzerland or Servus TV in Austria. When you connect to a server in these countries, the VPN changes your IP address to look like you’re there, letting you access the streaming sites.

Continue reading to find out how to watch F1 in the Netherlands for free with a streaming VPN. I’ll show you which streaming platforms offer all races for free and which VPNs can bypass their geo-restrictions.

Why do you need a VPN to watch F1 in the Netherlands?

Although viewers from the Netherlands can watch F1 through the Viaplay exclusive broadcaster, it only offers a free 7-day trial and costs from €19.99/month. Meanwhile, a VPN can help you connect to countries that offer streaming services with free F1 races, including Switzerland, Austria, or Belgium.

For example, due to broadcasting rights, free streaming services like SRF zwei in Switzerland aren’t available in the Netherlands. If you try to access it without a VPN, you’ll encounter an error message stating: “This content is not available outside Switzerland”.

But you can connect to a server in Switzerland using a geo-blocking VPN like NordVPN. It will change your IP address, so it looks like you’re physically in Switzerland, letting you stream F1 races free and save money on expensive streaming sites.

Watch F1 for free with NordVPN, now 77% OFF

NordVPN can effortlessly bypass geo-blocks and access free F1 streaming services, including SRF zwei in Switzerland and Servus TV in Austria. It has servers in 126 countries and offers lag-free speeds.

9.7

/10

1

• Exceptional geo-unblocking capabilities
• Ultra-fast speeds
• 30-day money-back guarantee

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Best VPNs for watching F1 in the Netherlands

I spent a few days testing dozens of reputable VPNs in the Netherlands to learn which ones can actually access free F1 streaming platforms. Aside from geo-restriction bypassing, I tested their speeds while streaming, security features, and pricing. Here are my top VPNs for F1:

1. 1. NordVPN – best VPN for watching F1 for free from the Netherlands in 2025
2. 2. Surfshark – unlimited device VPN for free streaming F1 in the Netherlands
3. 3. ExpressVPN – speedy and secure VPN for free F1 streaming

 

All 3 of these VPNs consistently accessed free F1 streaming platforms and showed no visible speed drops while live-streaming. You can find my full test results of each VPN below.

1. NordVPN – best VPN for watching free F1 in the Netherlands overall

NordVPN

1

9.7

/10

Visit NordVPN

Pros & cons

• Effortlessly accesses free F1 live streams
• Has servers in 126 countries
• Retains lag-free speeds
• 30-day money-back guarantee

• No free plan

NordVPN is the best VPN for watching F1 in the Netherlands completely free because it effortlessly bypasses geo-restrictions. During my tests, it had no trouble opening up the F1 live stream on SRF zwei in Switzerland. It also worked on RTS Deux in Switzerland and Servus TV & ORF in Austria.

Then, I also opened up a live stream while connected to a server and streamed for 15 minutes to measure the performance. On average, NordVPN retained a whopping 93% of initial connection speeds with its NordLynx protocol, so no lagging was visible.

As for additional features, I found Threat Protection to be useful. It allows you to watch content without malicious ads and trackers. Plus, there’s dark web monitoring that reports any of your personal data leaks to you.

NordVPN prices start from €2.99/month, and you can claim a free 3-day trial on Android. A 30-day money-back guarantee is also available.

Learn more in our NordVPN review.

2. Surfshark – affordable VPN for free F1 streaming in the Netherlands

Surfshark

1

9.6

/10

Visit Surfshark

Pros & cons

 

• Accesses free F1 streaming services
• Retains lag-free connection speeds
• Offers unlimited simultaneous connections
• Free 7-day trial on all devices

• Based in a 14-eye alliance country

Surfshark is a more affordable VPN that you can use to stream F1 races for free in the Netherlands. When I tested it with multiple platforms, I found that it worked without issues with Servus TV & ORF platforms in Austria. Accessing SRF zwei wasn’t difficult either – it unlocked on the first try.

Next, I tested Surfshark’s performance. It showed an average 89% of initial connection speeds. While it wasn’t as fast as NordVPN, I still experienced no buffering throughout my 15-minute stream.

Depending on the plan you get, you can get the Surfshark antivirus, which protects you from zero-day cyber threats. There’s also a feature similar to NordVPN’s Threat Protection – it’s called CleanWeb and it blocks malicious ads.

You can get Surfshark starting from €1.99/month and claim a free 7-day trial on top of a 30-day money-back guarantee.

For more information, read our Surfshark review.

3. ExpressVPN – reliable and secure VPN for free F1 streams

ExpressVPN

1

9.5

/10

Visit ExpressVPN

Pros & cons

 

• Accessed free F1 streaming sites
• 88% speed retention rates
• Servers across 105 countries
• Free 7-day trial on Android and iOS

• Slightly higher priced

ExpressVPN is a reliable option for streaming free F1 races in the Netherlands. I tested it using Servus TV & ORF with an Austrian server, and it worked like a charm, accessing the platforms on the first try.

During my tests, ExpressVPN retained an average of 88% initial connection speeds. It didn’t show any buffering during my 15-minute stream, and I saw no disconnects.

With this VPN, you get an ad & tracker blocker. There’s also a DNS leak protection feature, which ensures that your IP address doesn’t leak.

ExpressVPN prices start from $3.49/month. There’s a free 7-day trial on iOS and Android, and you can get a 30-day money-back guarantee too.

Learn more in our ExpressVPN review.

Where can I stream F1 in the Netherlands for free?

F1 is available to stream in the Netherlands with a free 7-day trial on Viaplay. However, you can use a VPN to watch F1 races completely free without limits. Here are the streaming services that offer F1 races for free:

How to watch F1 in the Netherlands with a VPN: detailed guide

Setting up a VPN to watch F1 in the Netherlands is easy, even for beginners, since all you have to do is download the VPN app and click one button to connect to a server. Here’s how to do it:

1. Pick a streaming VPN with a large server fleet. During my tests, NordVPN worked best.
2. Download and install the VPN app on the device you’ll use to watch the races.
3. Connect to a server in a country where F1 races are free, such as Switzerland or Austria.
4. Launch the free F1 streaming service, depending on which country’s server you connected to.
5. Start streaming F1 races from the Netherlands without interruptions.

F1 2025 Grand Prix race schedule

The F1 Grand Prix season is in full swing, with Dutch driver Max Verstappen winning the US Grand Prix 2025. Here are the remaining Grand Prix races for the season that you can still watch:

Can I use a free VPN to watch F1 races in the Netherlands?

Yes, you can use a free VPN to watch F1 races in the Netherlands, but I highly advise against it. If you choose an unreliable free service, they may sell your data to advertisers because that’s their only source of income.

Alternatively, you can try out freemium VPNs, as they’re reliable free versions of premium VPN providers. Yet, they usually don’t offer servers in Switzerland or Austria, and they don’t give you an option to choose a server location. Instead, you get assigned one automatically.

So, my best suggestion is accessing F1 live races free by using a premium VPN with a free trial. For example, I claimed the NordVPN free 3-day trial on Android and then set it up on my computer to watch F1. Plus, there’s a 30-day money-back guarantee available.

Final thoughts

Viewers from the Netherlands can only watch free F1 races via a free 7-day Viaplay trial. If you don’t want to spend €19.99/month or more, you can get a VPN to watch live races on streaming platforms that offer the broadcasts for free. This includes SRF zwei in Switzerland or Servus TV & ORF in Austria.

My tests proved that NordVPN is the best VPN for streaming free F1 races from the Netherlands. It had no issues accessing any of the free streaming sites that broadcast the races. Plus, it comes with servers in 126 countries and lets you leverage a free 3-day trial on Android.