Previously known as the European Grand Prix, Formula One’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix has no shortage of intense drama and intrigue, so I know that all Formula One aficionados are anxious to stream the season live — here’s your guide on how to do it from anywhere in the world.

In the U.S.

NBC Sports is your safest bet to watch F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix live. You might have to wake up early to catch the live streams, but other than that, you shouldn’t have problems streaming all Azerbaijan GP events. Being a part of the Formula 1 roster, the Azerbaijan GP is fully covered by many cable and Internet broadcasters, including WatchESPN, Sky Sports F1, Univision, NOW, ABC, FuboTV, and Sling TV, to name a few.AT&T subscribers can find it on DirecTV Now, while users of PlayStation Vue, YouTube TV, and Hulu Live TV can find NBC Sports on the list of covered channels, too. The only catch with YouTube TV and PS Vue is some coverage is region-restricted, so you’ll have to check with your provider.

Also, the NBC Sports Live app is available on mobile devices and Roku, so you can stream the Azerbaijan GP on your smartphone or tablet if you can’t get to that large HD screen in time for the race.

In the UK

UK F1 buffs can traditionally watch the Azerbaijan GP on Sky Sports F1 (paid) and Channel 4 (free). This means you can follow the action on your desktop or laptop via Sky Go and All 4 apps, both available for iOS and Android smartphones and tablets, as well as for Amazon Fire, Mac, PlayStation4, PS4, and Xbox One devices.

If you don’t have a Sky Sports subscription but can’t stand to miss out on the Azerbaijan GP, you can add Sky Sports to your box via a NOW TV subscription. Daily and weekly passes are available, so you don’t get locked into a contract. NOW TV is super-flexible since it supports Windows, macOS, Chromecast, Xbox One, PS3 and PS4, Roku, LG Smart TV, and mobile devices.

Worldwide

A large number of national broadcasters will be airing the Azerbaijan GP as a part of their F1 coverage, so check your local channels – you might as well find you don’t need to sweat over spoofing into the US or UK.

Additionally, Formula 1 is slated to launch F1 TV in select regions (USA, LatAm, Mexico, and several EU countries). It is expected to hit the app stores any time now and offer subscription-based packages ($8-$12/mo) streaming F1, F2, and GP3 Series and Porsche Supercup, and a laundry list of events, interviews, and racing coverage with commentary in multiple languages.

Although there’s no shortage of streaming services and cable channels covering the F1 Azerbaijan GP races, they are all locked to their respective countries. What this means is you get locked out of your paid content when you go abroad if you are a Sky Go, NBC, SlingTV, or YouTube TV subscriber.

Likewise, if you were counting on your All 4 app for free live streaming of Azerbaijan GP while traveling outside the UK, you may find most of its streams locked for the same reason – geo-based licensing.

You see, most companies prefer to buy licenses that allow them to broadcast the F1 events domestically. Your citizenship and place of residence have no weight in this case, but your physical location does. Since your streaming provider identifies your location based on your Internet Protocol address (IP), you need to swap your IP to a US or UK one to bypass its geo-block and stream your Azerbaijan GP as you normally would from your home country.

Enter VPN. A Virtual Private Network is a service that runs a host of VPN servers across the world. If you connect to a VPN server in the U.S., you obtain a U.S. IP address, and your streaming provider lifts the geo-block.In addition to bypassing streaming sites’ geo restrictions, VPNs encrypt your traffic, which brings additional privacy and security benefits:

  • Privacy – traffic encryption hides your browsing activities from your Internet Service Provider, which normally logs your online habits.
  • Security – VPN encryption protects your sensitive data from Man-in-the-Middle and honeypot attacks on public WiFi.
  • Access – VPN helps you bypass school, office or government-imposed firewalls and access content and websites that are censored in your location (dissident news sites, YouTube, social media).
  • No throttling – most ISPs throttle (or limit) your bandwidth when you stream, torrent, or play online. A VPN lifts the ISP-imposed throttling
  1. Subscribe to a VPN service – check the list below for my suggestions.
  2. Download and install a VPN client provided by your VPN company.
  3. Log into your VPN client and find the servers list.
  4. Pick a server in the US (or the UK) and connect.
  5. Launch your browser (don’t forget to clean the cache and DNS from the previous sessions).
  6. Go to your streaming website and log in – you should be able to stream the F1 Azerbaijan GP now.

To ensure you don’t run into any glitches when the Azerbaijan GP revs up, test your VPN speeds, ability to bypass your streaming provider’s geo-blocks, and check for DNS leaks. If your VPN gets you past all the blocks consistently and lets you stream in HD quality without hiccups and aggravating buffering times – you’re all set for the Azerbaijan GP.

It’s a good idea to test a VPN before committing to a long-term subscription. The best way to ensure you get the quality that matches the price is to run a series of tests during the free trial or period covered by a provider’s money-back guarantee.

ExpressVPN

Our top pick!
  • Always evades internet control in the PRC
  • Keeps ahead of the Netflix VPN detection algorithm
  • Benchmark tests show excellent speed

IPVanish

  • No limit on the number of devices you can connect at the same time
  • SOCKS5 proxy, which its main rivals don’t have
  • More VPN servers in more US cities to dodge blackouts

CyberGhost

  • Precise locations
  • Very large VPN server network
  • Offers a 45-day money-back guarantee

TorGuard

  • User-friendly TorGuard app
  • Plans that include a dedicated IP
  • Gift card payment options

Cactus

  • 24-hours free trial
  • 30-day money-back guarantee
  • No logs and no bandwidth caps