British Grand Prix live stream: how to watch F1 Sprint race live from Silverstone today

he battle between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton is set to boil over at a scorching British Grand Prix this weekend, in front of full capacity Silverstone. The first-ever F1 Sprint for pole position starts today at 4.30pm. The weather is a blistering 28°C. UK fans can watch every track session live and free on Channel 4. Follow our guide on how to watch a British Grand Prix free live stream in 4K and for free from anywhere.

Formula 1 will make history at Silverstone today: for the very first time there will be a 'sprint' qualifying to determine the grid for Sunday's British Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton qualified first yesterday and starts today's Sprint race on pole.

The schedule for the new-look race weekend is as follows: Practice One is at 2pm on Friday followed by Qualifying (for Saturday's Sprint) at 6pm. Practice Two is at at 12pm on Saturday, before the very first F1 Sprint race at 4.30pm. Then it's lights out for the 2021 British Grand Prix at 3pm on Sunday.

The drivers will start the sprint race in the order they qualified on Friday. The 100km distance works as 17 laps of the 3.7-mile Silverstone circuit. The race will last 25-30 minutes, and should prove more exciting than the current knock-out format. 

Points will be awarded for the top three finishers. 1st = 3 points, 2nd = 2 points, 3rd = 1 point. That means the maximum number of points on offer this weekend is 29, rather than the usual 26. A fact that won't be lost on Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton. Crash out or retire and you'll have to start at the back of the grid on Sunday. 

To add to the thrills, Silverstone, the home of British motorsport, is set to host a roaring capacity crowd as part of a government research programme. Ticket holders will be asked for either proof of a negative lateral flow test taken within 48 hours of arrival at Silverstone or proof of full vaccination.

Can Verstappen make it four wins in four races to extend his lead in the driver's championship?

F1 fans in the UK can watch the entire weekend – including Sunday's race – live and for free on Channel 4. Follow our guide on how to watch a British Grand Prix live stream from anywhere in the world.

WATCH A BRITISH GRAND PRIX FREE LIVE STREAM

HOW TO WATCH THE BRITISH GRAND PRIX IN 4K

Sky has the exclusive UK television rights to show every F1 race until the end of 2024. To watch the British Grand Prix in 4K Ultra HD, you’ll need a Sky Q set-top-box and a package with Ultra HD and Sky Sports F1. That starts at £45 per month, with a one-off payment of £20 if you’re not already a Sky subscriber. It's a fair chunk of change, but it’s the only way to watch the F1 live and in 4K.

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BRITISH GP LIVE STREAM IN FULL HD WITH DOLBY 5.1

Don't want to commit to a Sky contract? Anyone can watch this weekend's British Grand Prix on Sky's pay-per-view platform, Now. Now is available on all good smart TVs and set-top-boxes. There's no 4K option, but go for the Now Boost add-on and you can stream in Full 1080p HD with Dolby 5.1 surround

With Carlos Sainz Jr at Ferrari and Fernando Alonso on the grid, Spanish F1 fans will be keen to tune into the 2021 British Grand Prix free live stream.

DAZN has acquired the rights to show Formula 1 in Spain until the end of 2023. The streaming service will show the F1 World Championship on its exclusive DAZN F1 channel, in the company of ex-F1 driver Pedro De La Rosa.

DAZN F1 launched on 1st March 2021 across DAZN and Movistar+. You can try it free for 7 days. After that you'll be rolled on a monthly subscription.

BRAZIL: BRITISH GRAND PRIX LIVE STREAM

TV Band will replace Globo as the official F1 broadcaster in Brazil from 2021 onwards. The switch allows Formula 1 to launch its official live streaming platform – F1 TV Pro – in South America.

Brazilian F1 fans can subscribe to F1 TV Pro and stream every track session of the 2021 F1 season for the ridiculously-low price of R$143 (US$27).

Going to be outside your home country of Brazil? Simply use a VPN to watch the British Grand Prix without being blocked. We recommend as it comes with a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee. Bueno!

AUSTRALIA: BRITISH GRAND PRIX LIVE STREAM

G'day motorsport fans. Fox Sports has the rights to show live F1 races in Australia, including the British Grand Prix. 

Streaming platform Kayo Sports carries Fox and offers new subscribers a 14-day free trial. After that, you'll be bumped onto a rolling one month contract. Basic is $25 while Premium is $35.

Happy with highlights? 10Play will show free highlights of every race.

GERMANY: BRITISH GRAND PRIX LIVE STREAM

Sky Germany has the exclusive rights to every live F1 races this season, including a 2021 British Grand Prix live stream.

With F1 now behind an expensive paywall in Germany, many fans will question why their French and Dutch neighbours can watch every race live on F1 TV Pro for just €7.99 a month, and envy the Austrians getting it for free.

Going to be outside your home country of Germany? Simply use a VPN to access a live stream without being blocked. We recommend ExpressVPN as it comes with a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.

USA: BRITISH GRAND PRIX LIVE STREAM

For complete access to F1 in 2021 Americans will need to sign up to the EPSN paid channels (or Univision for Spanish coverage).

ESPN will carry live coverage of every session to subscribing US fans. Practice sessions will be available on ESPN2, with qualifying and the race broadcast on the main ESPN channel.

Live streaming is available via the ESPN App, which is available on Android phones and tablets, iPhones, iPads, Fire Tablets, Apple TV, Android TV, Chromecast, Fire TV, and Roku. You'll need to sign up to ESPN first, though.

The American and Mexican grand prix races (as well as a repeat of the Monaco Grand Prix) will be broadcast on ABC for free. Don't have cable? Cord-cutters can try a top streaming service such as FuboTV for free.

There's also currently an excellent deal with Sling TV. Pick the Orange package, which includes ESPN, and get the first month for just $10. It's $35 per month thereafter but with no contract. Cancel at any time.

RUSSIA: AUSTRIAN GRAND PRIX LIVE STREAM

Good news: the 2021 F1 season will be shown free-to-air on Match TV in Russia.

Going to be outside your home country of Russia? Simply use a VPN to access a British Grand Prix free live stream without being blocked. We recommend ExpressVPN as it comes with a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee. Nostrovia!

ITALY: BRITISH GRAND PRIX LIVE STREAM

Sky Italia is the place to watch F1 in Italy. Former F1 test driver Davide Valsecchi provides brilliant pit lane reporting, while Jacques Villeneuve provides commentary.

Don't fancy taking out an expensive Sky contact? Italian F1 fans can get an British Grand Prix live stream via Sky Italia's Now TV app. A 24-hour pass costs from €14.99. Molto bene!

JAPAN: BRITISH GRAND PRIX LIVE STREAM

DAZN has been the home of F1 in Japan for a few seasons now, and will serve up an British Grand Prix live stream this weekend. The service delivers live coverage of every race of the 2021 season and stats galore, making it a no-brainer for (the many) F1 fans in Japan. Domo arigato!

FULL 2021 F1 CALENDAR & RESULTS (UPDATED)

The latest news is that the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne has been cancelled for a second year running. The Singapore Grand Prix is due to be replaced by the Turkish Grand Prix.