How to watch the Bahrain Grand Prix
The second race of the 2019 season is just around the corner
Who saw that coming? Despite the predictions of pretty much every pundit in the land, Valtteri Bottas stormed to victory in the first race of this year’s F1 season in Melbourne on 17 March, overtaking esteemed teammate Lewis Hamilton in the process.
As a result, it’s all to play for in round two, with the spotlight falling on the Bahrain International Circuit on the weekend of 31 March. Will Bottas be able to hold his nerve and hold off the challenge of Hamilton? Will Ferrari finally match the pace set by Mercedes? The only way to know the answer to these questions and more is to watch every minute of the action from Bahrain. Here’s how to do just that.
READ NEXT: How to watch the Premier League legally online
When is the Bahrain Grand Prix?
The Bahrain Grand Prix weekend begins with the usual Friday practice session at 12:00 GMT on 29 March. Qualifying follows the day after, beginning at 16:00 GMT.
The race itself gets underway at 16:10 GMT on Sunday 31 March.
How to watch the Bahrain Grand Prix
How to watch the Bahrain Grand Prix: Sky Sports
You can currently gain access to Sky Sports’ F1 channel for £10 per month (down from £18) on top of your usual Sky subscription.
Sky Sports F1 is also available as part of the wider sports package, which includes all eight Sky Sports Channels for £23 per month. This price is only available for customers who can commit to an 18-month contract – the non-contract price is much steeper at £30 per month.
In order to access any of these packages, you’ll first need to pay £22 per month for a Sky Q box. Again, this is subject to an 18-month contract, on top of a £20 one-off fee for the box itself.
How to watch the Bahrain Grand Prix: Now TV
If the lengthy contracts offered by Sky are too much of a commitment for you, then you can always try a Now TV pass.
Recently, Now TV announced its Sky Sports F1 Season Ticket. For £195, you’ll be able to watch every single one of this season’s 21 race weekends live. That’s £5 per week, or around £9 per race weekend – comfortably the cheapest way to legally stream the F1 in the UK this year.
Buy a Now TV Sky Sports F1 Season Ticket here
If you’re just keen to catch the action from Bahrain, then Now TV offers Month, Week and Day passes at much cheaper rates than the one-off payment for the F1 season ticket.
Browse Now TV’s Sky Sports passes here
Is the Bahrain Grand Prix live on Channel 4?
Unfortunately not. Only the British Grand Prix from Silverstone will be shown on free-to-air television this year. Highlights from all the other races – including the Bahrain Grand Prix – will be shown on Channel 4, however.
How to watch the Bahrain Grand Prix wherever you are
How to watch the Bahrain Grand Prix: VPN
If you don’t have access to the Bahrain Grand Prix where you are, then the best way to watch the free televised highlights on Channel 4 in the UK is to download and install a VPN. This makes your computer think it’s in another country, allowing you to get around those pesky geoblocks.
Our favourite VPN is currently NordVPN, which you can use on both computer and mobile devices. It costs £9.43 per month, or £4.55 if you buy an annual contract.
If you’re looking to save even more pennies, head on over and read our pick of the best free VPNs available right now.
How to watch the Bahrain Grand Prix: F1 TV Pro
This year, Formula 1 has launched its own streaming service in the form of F1 TV Pro, which boasts live coverage of every single race this year. You can subscribe to this in countries where the service is available (including Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands and more – you can find the full lowdown here), but, as long as Sky retains exclusive rights to F1 coverage, that won’t be in the UK.
Browse F1 TV Pro subscriptions here
