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For the 16th round of the 2026 season, Formula One has moved and rescheduled the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix
from Sakhir in Kingdom of Bahrain to Selangor in Malaysia. This is because of the uncertainties in the Middle East due to the war in Iran and crisis in the Strait of Hormuz .
Instead of being held at the Bahrain International Circuit, the race event now takes places Sepang International Circuit. Originally, Bahrain GP was supposed to take place in early April, but was canceled and ultimately moved to a later date. And now, it starts on Friday, Oct. 2.
At a Glance: How to Watch 2026 F1 Bahrain Grand Prix Live Online
- Dates: Oct. 2–4
- Venue: Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia
- Livestream Online: Apple TV, Bahrain’s beIN SPORTS with ExpressVPN
This isn’t the first time, F1 changed the schedule because of the war with Iran. Earlier this year, Formula One Management (FOM) canceled the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in late April and, as of publishing, the motorsport’s operating body has yet to relocate and reschedule the race.
As for the season, Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes sits high on the F1 leaderboard with a whopping 302 points going into the Bahrain GP. He has a firm lead with 12 podiums after 15 rounds. However, his Mercedes teammate George Russell comes in second with 236 points, as the winner of the last race, the Azerbaijan GP. Meanwhile, Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton rounds out the top three with 199 points on the season.
How to Watch F1 Bahrain Live Online In the United States
Apple TV has exclusive broadcasting and streaming rights to F1 in the United States, so the best way to watch F1 Bahrain online is with a subscription. The streaming service goes for $14.99 per month, or $119 per year, but it starts with a seven-day free trial to watch the F1 race event for free this weekend.
Aside from F1 Bahrain, Apple TV is a must-have for F1 fans, thanks to access to every practice, qualifying round, sprint and race day event throughout the 2026 season. In addition, the streaming service has access to warmups, post-race analysis, interviews with drivers and team principals, highlights, replays, and even more motorsports action. Meanwhile, the very popular F1 docuseries Drive to Survive is available to watch on Apple TV, while it’s streamable on Netflix too.
Apple TV is the home to award-winning originals, including Ted Lasso, Widow’s Bay, Slow Horses, The Studio, Pluribus, Margo’s Got Money Troubles, The Morning Show, and others. The streaming service has hit movies too, like F1: The Movie, CODA, Eternity, Killers of the Flower Moon, Highest 2 Lowest, and much more. It has access to live sports from Major League Baseball and Major League Soccer.
VPN Access: Watch F1 Bahrain Online for Free Internationally
Another way to watch F1 Bahrain is to get a subscription to a VPN, or virtual private network. The race airs for free on Bahrain’s beIN SPORTS. The broadcast is only available in Bahrain and the Middle East, but you can access race day from anywhere with a VPN, like ExpressVPN, NordVPN, Proton VPN, and others.
F1 Bahrain Grand Prix 2026 Schedule
The 2026 F1 Bahrain Grand Prix begins with two practice sessions on Friday, Oct. 2, while the motorsports event ends with race day on Sunday, Oct. 4.
Friday, Oct. 2
- Practice 1: 12:30 a.m ET/9:30 p.m PT (Thursday, Oct. 1)
- Practice 2: 4 a.m ET/1 a.m PT
Saturday, Oct. 3
- Practice 3: 12:30 a.m ET/9:30 p.m PT (Thursday, Oct. 1)
- Qualifying: 4 a.m ET/1 a.m PT
Sunday, Oct. 4
- Race Day: 3 a.m ET/12 a.m. PM
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