Motorsport maniacs have three chances to see the F1 legends in action on United States soil this year: the Miami Grand Prix (May), the United States Grand Prix (October), and the Las Vegas Grand Prix (November). However, we are getting ahead of ourselves, as first things first, the spotlight falls on Albert Park in Melbourne, which is staging the F1 season-opening Australian Grand Prix on Sunday, March 16. You’ll have to pace yourself, though, as it will be a very early/late start, depending on your sleeping habits. The lights go green at midnight ET. It’s the first grand prix of an action-packed 24-race season until December and the curtain-closer in Abu Dhabi.
The Australian Grand Prix, which had been the annual curtain-raiser, returns to its no.1 spot on the schedule for the first time since 2019. It had staged the third round in recent seasons, with Bahrain and Saudi Arabia leading the way. However, those Middle East race weekends have been pushed back this year to avoid clashing with the festival of Ramadan.
The Australian Grand Prix has been a round of the F1 World Championship since 1985. It was first held at the Adelaide Street Circuit and remained there for eleven years straight before being moved to its present location of Albert Park in Melbourne in 1996. Michael Schumacher holds the record for most race wins at Albert Park, having won there four times (2000, 2001, 2002, and 2004).
Anticipation is high amongst F1 fanatics around the globe as we head into a brand new season, with a whole host of questions swirling around. Can Max Verstappen become the first driver since Michael Schumacher to win five driver’s championships in a row? How will Lewis Hamilton perform at Ferrari after switching teams after a triumphant 12-year stint at Mercedes? Are Lando Norris and McLaren going to build on their stellar season last year and justify their favoritism in the bookies’ markets?
Getty Images Canada’s Lance Stroll remains at Team Aston Martin for the coming season, along with the former two-time F1 world champion Fernando Alonso. Stroll recorded a season-high finish of 6th at the Australian Grand Prix last year, and he’ll be aiming to make a bright start to the new campaign. Aston Martin is one of only two teams who have maintained their driver line-up from last year. The other being, McLaren, who are looking to push on with Lando Norris and Australia’s Oscar Piastri, after a very positive 2024 season. Piastri, who just missed out on a podium spot when finishing 4th in his home race last year, will be hoping to give the Aussie crowd something to cheer about this time. The other Aussie in the line-up, who's also guaranteed a fervent backing, is F1 rookie Jack Doohan, who drives for BWT Alpine.
Let GOAL show you all the information you need for the Australian Grand Prix 2025, including the full weekend schedule and where you can watch the race and all the sessions live, including practice and qualifying.
How to watch the Australian Grand Prix 2025
Getty ImagesThe Australian Grand Prix will air live on ESPN on Sunday, March 16 at 12 am ET. This season, ESPN is the home of F1 again, with all 24 races airing on either ESPN or ESPN2. ESPN's F1 coverage also includes a dedicated site that reports on the championship yearly, with reporters on-site at every race. ESPN's F1 reporters also contribute to the video podcast program ‘Unlapped,’ which appears year-round on the ESPN YouTube channel. Spanish-language broadcasts appear primarily on ESPN Deportes, while ESPNews and ESPNU carry extra F1 programming, including some qualifying and practice sessions.
The Australian Grand Prix will also be streamed live on ESPN+. An ESPN+ subscription grants you access to exclusive ESPN+ content, including live events, fantasy sports tools, and premium ESPN+ articles. You can stream ESPN+ through an app on your smart TV, phone, tablet, or computer and ESPN.com. The stand-alone streaming service is a must-have accessory for F1 fanatics. An ESPN+ subscription costs $11.99 monthly (or $119.99 annually). You can also stream certain simulcasts and F2 races via ESPN+.
Fubo also offers a top-quality streaming service with access to the Australian Grand Prix and a whole world of sports. Fubo subscription plans start from $84.99 monthly as part of a rolling contract. Fubo offers a free 7-day trial to new subscribers. With over 200 channels, no contract, no hidden fees, and the option to cancel anytime, Fubo is a no-brainer for F1 and general sports fans.
Where is the Australian Grand Prix 2025 held?
Getty ImagesThe F1 Australian Grand Prix has been held at the Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne every year since 1996, with the exceptions of 2020 and 2021, when the races were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Before being staged at the Melbourne venue, the Australian Grand Prix was raced in Adelaide.
The Albert Park track, which consists of roads usually used by the public, is considered fast but relatively easy to drive, with the consistent placement of corners allowing the drivers to learn the circuit and achieve competitive times easily. The Australian Grand Prix regularly draws crowds of over 250,000 spectators, with last year's 2024 edition drawing a record high of over 450,000, with 130,000 attending race day Sunday. Albert Park is the only venue to host the Australian Grand Prix in both F1 World Championship and non-World Championship formats. An earlier configuration of the current circuit was used for the race twice during the 1950s.
Australian Grand Prix 2025 Weekend Schedule
The Australian Grand Prix 2025 runs over the full weekend, from Friday, March 14th, through Sunday, March 16th. Practice, qualifying, and the race itself are spread out over three days.
Below, you can find the timings for each practice session, qualifying, and the Grand Prix, as well as which channel to watch them on:
Date | Session | Time (ET) | Watch | Stream |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Thursday, March 13 | Practice 1 | 9:30 pm | ESPN | |
Friday, March 14 | Practice 2 | 1:00 am | ESPN | |
Friday, March 14 | Practice 3 | 9:30 pm | ESPN | |
Saturday, March 15 | Qualifying | 1:00 am | ESPN | |
Sunday, March 16 | Grand Prix | 12:00 am | ESPN |
Can I watch the Australian Grand Prix 2025 on F1 TV?
An F1 TV Pro subscription lets you stream every F1 race live, plus all the practices, qualifying races, and pre-race shows. It also gives you access to over 650 archived races for nostalgic viewing. While F1 TV offers two plans (F1 TV Access and F1 TV Pro), you’ll want F1 TV Pro to get all the live content. The plan costs $10.99 per month or $84.99 per year. Additional perks include onboard camera views, live tracking data, and team radio feeds, and you can switch between channels for different race actions and commentary in other languages. The F1 TV app is available on popular streaming devices like Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast with Google TV, Roku, and Android and iOS mobile devices.
Can I watch the Australian Grand Prix 2025 on demand?
Getty ImagesIf you have an ESPN or F1 TV subscription, you can watch a re-run of the Australian Grand Prix on demand after the race has finished through the channel's digital and online options. For mobile devices and personal tablets, the ESPN app will allow viewers to watch back the race in full, allowing fans to revisit the event in total or bite-sized highlights packages. Likewise, the F1 TV service will enable subscribers to enjoy full replays of every race during the 2025 Formula One season.
How to watch the Australian Grand Prix 2025 from anywhere with a VPN
You may need a different way to watch the race if you cannot view the Australian Grand Prix locally. That's where using a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds on race day by encrypting your traffic, and it's also a great idea if you're traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network. You want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins. With a VPN, you can virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to Grand Prix.
We highly recommend using NordVPN, but you can also check out our detailed VPN guide for other options.
