(Motorsport-Total.com) – The 2026 Formula 1 season marks a new era for the “premier class” of motorsport with new rules, new cars, new teams, and new drivers. From a German-speaking perspective, Audi’s entry with Nico Hülkenberg is particularly exciting. But which broadcasters will cover it? We answer this question in this article for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
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Because in this overview you will find – as soon as available – all essential details about the TV broadcast and the most important live streams in the 2026 season. You will learn details about the schedule and the possibilities to follow the Formula 1 action via television, live ticker, or live app.
In short: We answer all crucial questions about Formula 1 on TV in the 2026 season! The most important thing first:
Will the 2026 Barcelona Grand Prix be shown on free-to-air TV?
Yes, but only in Austria (ORF) and Switzerland (SRF). In Germany, only the Formula 1 qualifying can be seen live on RTL on free-to-air TV, but not the race.
Live Broadcasts for the 2026 Barcelona Grand Prix
Friday, June 12, 2026
1st Free Practice (13:30-14:30)
13:15-15:00: Sky Sport F1 / WOW Live Sport
13:20-14:40: ORF 1
2nd Free Practice (17:00-18:00)
16:45.18:30: Sky Sport F1 / WOW Live Sport
16:50-18:05: ORF 1
Saturday, June 13, 2026
3rd Free Practice (12:30-13:30)
12:15-14:05: Sky Sport F1 / WOW Live Sport
12:20-13:40: ORF 1
Pre-race coverage
15:40-15:55: ORF 1
Qualifying (from 16:00)
15:30-17:15: RTL
15:30-17:30: Sky Sport F1 / WOW Live Sport
15:55-17:15: SRF zwei
15:55-17:25: ORF 1
Top 3 Press Conference
17:30-18:00: Sky Sport F1 / WOW Live Sport
Sunday, June 14, 2026
Pre-race coverage
13:30-14:55: Sky Sport F1 / WOW Live Sport
13:40-14:25: ORF 1
Grand Prix (Start at 15:00)
14:20-16:55: SRF zwei
14:25-17:00: ORF 1
14:55-16:45: Sky Sport F1 / WOW Live Sport
Analysis
16:45-17:30: Sky Sport F1 / WOW Live Sport
17:00-17:35: ORF 1
Top 3 Press Conference
17:30-18:00: Sky Sport F1 / WOW Live Sport
Highlights and Replays for the 2026 Barcelona Grand Prix
Thursday, June 11, 2026
19:15-20:15: Driver Press Conference (Sky Sport F1)
Friday, June 12, 2026
18:30-19:30: Team Principals Press Conference (Sky Sport F1)
20:00-21:30: Replay 1st Free Practice (Sky Sport F1)
21:30-23:00: Replay 2nd Free Practice (Sky Sport F1)
Saturday, June 13, 2026
06:00-07:30: Replay 1st Free Practice (Sky Sport F1)
22:30-00:00: Replay Qualifying (Sky Sport F1)
Sunday, June 14, 2026
01:00-01:15: Qualifying Highlights (Sky Sport F1)
02:15-02:30: Qualifying Highlights (Sky Sport F1)
03:30-05:00: Replay Qualifying (Sky Sport F1)
07:00-08:30: Replay Qualifying (Sky Sport F1)
12:40-13:00: Qualifying Highlights (Sky Sport F1)
20:00-22:00: Grand Prix Replay (Sky Sport F1)
22:30-23:00: Grand Prix Highlights (Sky Sport F1)
Monday, June 15, 2026
02:00-04:00: Grand Prix Replay (Sky Sport F1)
06:00-07:30: Replay 1st Free Practice (Sky Sport F1)
07:30-09:00: Replay 2nd Free Practice (Sky Sport F1)
09:00-10:30: Replay 3rd Free Practice (Sky Sport F1)
10:30-12:00: Replay Qualifying (Sky Sport F1)
12:00-14:00: Grand Prix Replay (Sky Sport F1)
14:30-15:00: Grand Prix Highlights (Sky Sport F1)
20:00-22:00: Grand Prix Replay (Sky Sport F1)
Tuesday, June 16, 2026
03:55-06:00: Grand Prix Replay (ORF 1)
The Formula 1 TV Situation in Germany
Only Sky shows everything live
Pay-TV broadcaster Sky exclusively shows the complete 2026 Formula 1 season in Germany. As usual, all practice sessions, qualifying, the sprint, and the Grand Prix will be shown live with German commentary. And this will remain the case beyond 2026: Sky’s Formula 1 contract runs until the end of 2027.
Fans have two ways to follow Formula 1 live on Sky: Those who subscribe to the Sky Sports package can watch Formula 1 (and other sports such as the MotoGP World Championship or IndyCar) classically on television. Those who prefer streaming are well catered for with the Sky WOW offer and can stream all Formula 1 content to their devices.
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The Formula 1 sessions on Sky are commented by Sascha Roos. He is usually joined by former Formula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher, who was replaced by his former racing driver colleague Timo Glock at some races in 2025. Peter Hardenacke is the presenter of the Sky broadcasts, and Sandra Baumgartner acts as a reporter in the Formula 1 paddock, gathering opinions.
Will RTL show individual races on free-to-air TV again?
In 2025, RTL broadcast seven Grands Prix as well as various qualifying sessions and sprints on free-to-air TV with a sub-license from Sky. In 2026, RTL will also broadcast individual races again. The Monaco Grand Prix kicked things off. However, further plans have not yet been communicated.
The RTL team recently consisted of long-standing participants: Heiko Wasser and former Formula 1 driver Christian Danner commented, while Kai Ebel and Alessa-Luisa Naujoks provided additional voices as pit reporters. Florian König and Laura Papendick shared the moderation of the broadcasts. Former Formula 1 team principal Günther Steiner also supported them as an expert.
The Formula 1 TV Situation in Austria
In Austria, ORF and ServusTV have shared the broadcast of Formula 1 races equally since 2021. This will remain the case in the new contract period until the end of 2026: ORF and ServusTV will each show half of the season’s races live in Austria, with ServusTV remaining the official licensee of Formula 1 and ORF coming into play via a sub-license.
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In 2026, unlike 2025, ServusTV will kick things off. Subsequently, the two Austrian broadcasters will alternate, with ORF broadcasting the finale. However, there are two exceptions: ORF will show two consecutive race weekends with Monaco and Barcelona, and ServusTV will do the same with Zandvoort and Monza.
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ServusTV will show the following races live in 2026: Melbourne (Australia), Suzuka (Japan), Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), Montreal (Canada), Spielberg (Austria), Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium), Zandvoort (Netherlands), Monza (Italy), Baku (Azerbaijan), Austin (USA), Sao Paulo (Brazil), Lusail (Qatar)
ORF will show the following races live in 2026: Shanghai (China), Sakhir (Bahrain), Miami (USA), Monaco, Barcelona (Spain), Silverstone (Great Britain), Budapest (Hungary), Madrid (Spain), Singapore, Mexico City (Mexico), Las Vegas (USA), Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates)
On ORF, Ernst Hausleitner and former Formula 1 driver Alexander Wurz will comment as usual in 2026. On ServusTV, Andreas Gröbl comments and Andrea Schlager moderates. The broadcaster can draw on experts such as Philipp Eng, Christian Klien, Mathias Lauda, or Philipp Brändle.
The Formula 1 TV Situation in Switzerland
Swiss television usually broadcasts only qualifying and races live, and this is to remain the case for 2026. This means: Oliver Sittler comments together with former Formula 1 driver Marc Surer and former DTM driver Nico Müller.
Which Live Streams are Offered for the 2026 Formula 1 Season?
Many illegal live streams are offered on the internet. However, at this point, we naturally refer exclusively to legal offers and subscriptions. Formula 1 itself offers such a legal offer with a subscription to the streaming service F1 TV Pro. With this, you can choose to listen to German or English commentary from Sky.
The F1 TV Pro subscription includes all Formula 1 sessions as well as the support series Formula 2, Formula 3, and Porsche Supercup, each live and on demand, as well as an archive of historical Formula 1 Grands Prix.
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But beware: In Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, no new F1 TV Pro subscription can be concluded due to other agreements. Only existing F1 TV Pro customers can still access the content of the streaming service.
With F1 TV Access for 26.99 Euros per year, fans have access to replays and the archive, but not to live content of Formula 1 and its support series.
ORF offers legal live streams of all Formula 1 races on the internet in its free TVthek. This is also available as an app, but naturally with geo-blocking for non-Austrian viewers. ServusTV also offers access to Formula 1 live streams with an app for mobile devices and SmartTVs, also only for Austria. Via “WOW”, Formula 1 can be streamed on Sky in Germany. Details on reception and prices can be found here!
What if I don’t have access to TV or live streams?
If you don’t have Sky, RTL, ORF, ServusTV, SRF, or a subscription to the F1 streaming service, then our portal is the best place for you! During the Formula 1 season, we offer motorsport fans an extensive Formula 1 news live ticker from morning to evening, in the style of a radio program. In this, we report live on all activities on and off the track during test drives and on race weekends.
In addition, there are the Formula 1 session live tickers. These are also available in our mobile Formula 1 apps, ideal for the “second screen” on a tablet or smartphone.
Furthermore, on race weekends, we offer Formula 1 live streams and videos in the evenings on the Formel1.de YouTube channel, where editor-in-chief Christian Nimmervoll and presenter Kevin Scheuren usually analyze the day’s events and also answer viewer questions.
Who are the Drivers and Teams in the 2026 Formula 1 Season?
In the 2026 Formula 1 season, 22 drivers will compete in eleven teams. Newcomers include Audi (previously: Sauber) and Cadillac. The field includes seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari), four-time world champion Max Verstappen (Red Bull), two-time world champion Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin), and current world champion Lando Norris (McLaren). (Overview: Drivers and Teams 2026)
The Formula 1 Drivers 2026
Nico Hülkenberg (Audi) remains the only German Formula 1 driver. Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) is the only rookie to join. Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez make their Formula 1 comeback as regular drivers for Cadillac after a year’s break each.
What Changes are There for the 2026 Formula 1 Season?
Formula 1 is introducing new Technical Regulations for the season, including (among other things) new rules for the chassis and powertrain of the cars. Details on the technical changes can be found here.
The 2026 Formula 1 calendar also shows some changes compared to the previous year: Imola loses its place, the street race in Madrid is added, and some Grands Prix have received new dates.
Where Can I Find the Results for the 2026 Formula 1 Season?
Our portal provides you with all results, statistics, and overall standings for Formula 1 2026 under these links. You can also retrieve the individual results for the respective race weekend as soon as they are available.
Where Can I Find Current Statistics for the 2026 Formula 1 Season?
Our Formula 1 database always keeps you up to date with all essential statistics for the 2026 Formula 1 season and all Formula 1 seasons since 1950, with detailed information on drivers, teams, engine suppliers, racetracks, and much more!
Which Series will Race in the Support Program of Formula 1 in 2026?
In 2026, the usual series will race in the Formula 1 support program, primarily the junior categories Formula 2 and Formula 3, as well as the Porsche Supercup. Since 2024, the women’s racing series F1 Academy has also been part of Formula 1 Grands Prix.
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