The Dutch GP is a sprint weekend, so Zandvoort gets two starts, two grids, and five live sessions. Belgian public broadcaster RTBF puts all of them on Auvio, its free streaming platform. No subscription, no cable login, only a free account. Watching from the US adds one step: a VPN connected to a Belgian city.
Lights go out on Sunday, August 23 at 9 a.m. ET, 6 a.m. PT. Saturday holds the sprint at 6 a.m. ET, 3 a.m. PT, and qualifying at 10 a.m. ET, 7 a.m. PT. RTBF alternates F1 between its Tipik and La Trois channels, and Auvio streams whichever one has the broadcast (no need to choose channels manually; just click the stream).
Fastest Setup: Belgian Server + Free RTBF Account
- Sign up for NordVPN and install it on whichever screen you’ll watch on. The 30-day money-back guarantee covers a single weekend.
- Connect to a server in Belgium. Brussels holds HD video steady, and there are enough Belgian IPs to cycle through if one gets flagged.
- Create a free Auvio account. Google sign-in takes about a minute. Should a postal code field appear, a Belgian ZIP code generator supplies a valid one.
- Open Auvio’s Formule 1 hub and start the live stream. Build-up begins around 7 a.m. ET on Sunday. Geo-errors clear with a hard refresh.
Three VPNs That Open RTBF Auvio From Abroad
- NordVPN: Our first pick. Belgian locations are easy to find, HD held up across a full session in our testing, and one subscription stretches to Fire TV sticks and other streaming boxes. Deloitte finished its sixth no-logs audit in February 2026.
- Proton VPN: The closest alternative. Its Belgian servers opened Auvio on every attempt we made. Smart TV support is thinner.
- ExpressVPN: The simplest app of the three. Lightway connects almost instantly. It costs more (renewals, especially).
All 3 are premium VPNs, but offer a 30-day money-back guarantee on all plans. Simply subscribe, watch the F1 Dutch GP online on RTBF Auvio, and get a refund. For long-term use, Proton VPN and NordVPN are more affordable than ExpressVPN.
Free VPNs and the Auvio Problem
A sprint weekend puts close to six hours of live video in front of you, and free plans break down before Sunday. Allowances measured in hundreds of megabytes disappear during the sprint alone. Country coverage is the bigger obstacle. Belgium is a small market, so free tiers skip it for the largest European countries.
Proton VPN’s free plan shows the pattern: a strong service, with no Belgian location to pick. Auvio also recognizes the shared datacenter addresses that free providers recycle. A refund claimed inside a 30-day money-back window works out cheaper in any case.
Zandvoort Session Times for US Viewers
- Friday, August 21: FP1 at 6:30 a.m. ET / 3:30 a.m. PT, sprint qualifying at 10:30 a.m. ET / 7:30 a.m. PT
- Saturday, August 22: Sprint at 6 a.m. ET / 3 a.m. PT, qualifying at 10 a.m. ET / 7 a.m. PT
- Sunday, August 23: Race (72 laps) at 9 a.m. ET / 6 a.m. PT
Every session finishes before noon on the East Coast.
Paid Broadcasters Showing the Dutch GP
- Apple TV (US): took the American rights this season at $12.99 a month, with every session live.
- Sky Sports F1 (UK): holds the British deal through 2029, at a price that climbs once a sports package goes on top.
- Viaplay (Netherlands): the home broadcast, in Dutch.
- Canal+ (France): French coverage behind a premium subscription.
Every one of them is locked to its home country. An Apple TV subscriber in Cancún still needs a VPN pointed back to the US. Paying removes the free part of this guide. The VPN stays either way.
Stream the Dutch GP With NordVPN
FAQ About the F1 Dutch GP Live Stream
➡️ Is the F1 Dutch GP live stream on RTBF Auvio free?
Yes. Auvio belongs to Belgium’s public broadcaster, so registration asks for an email address and never for payment details. A Google account works.
➡️ Does Auvio show the sprint as well as the race?
Yes. All five Zandvoort sessions appear live, Friday practice and sprint qualifying included, with replays afterward.
➡️ What language is the RTBF commentary in?
French. But you can translate RTBF into English for easier navigation. The footage is Full HD, so you still get good quality streaming.
➡️ Will a Dutch or German server work instead of a Belgian one?
No. Auvio checks for a Belgian IP address specifically, and neighboring countries fail that check.
