Technologies
Formula 1 Racing 2023: How to Watch and Livestream the Monaco GP Today
With the Romagna GP canceled due to the devastating flooding in Italy, F1 moves on to the moneyed streets of Monaco.
Max Verstappen won his third race of the season when he took the checkered flag in Miami and is now looking for his first set of back-to-back victories this season. Verstappen and his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez have won every race so far in 2023 and are currently in first and second place in the Drivers’ Championship standings. Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso is third, while Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton is fourth. Meanwhile, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc sits seventh heading into his home race of Monaco.
Lights out on the streets of Monte Carlo is scheduled for this morning at 9 a.m ET (6 a.m PT) on ABC and ESPN Plus.
The entire race weekend, including practice sessions and qualifying, will be shown in the US on ESPN’s family of television networks. Those looking to follow all the drama will need access to ABC, ESPN, ESPN 2 and ESPNews to catch every second of the action.
No single provider has exclusive rights to the network, so there are plenty of ways to get ESPN and watch the races without cable. We’ve broken down everything you need to know in order to stream today’s race, and all the other F1 races this season.
Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez have combined to win every race so far in 2023 for Red Bull.
What is F1 and how is it different from IndyCar?
Both IndyCar and F1 are open-wheeled, single-seater racing formats. This means that the cars can only fit one person and have uncovered wheels that protrude from the body of the vehicle. Despite their basic similarities, F1 and IndyCar offer very different experiences.
In F1, there are only 10 teams, with two drivers apiece for a total of 20 drivers. Most races must go for 305 km, which is about 190 miles. Each driver needs to use two different tires in the race, so a pit stop is mandatory, though cars are not allowed to refuel. Races average around two hours in length and are held at venues all over the world.
Teams spend hundreds of millions of dollars each year developing their cars. All cars must have certain elements — for example, gearboxes must have eight gears plus a reverse and last for six consecutive races — but teams have leeway to tweak and change some parts of their car, including their engines, in the pursuit of speed.
In contrast, the cars featured in IndyCar are more standardized. They all have the same aerodynamic kit and chassis and can only be powered by one of two engines — either a Honda or a Chevrolet. That said, teams are allowed to develop some of their own parts, like dampers and some of their suspensions.
IndyCar races occur on a wide range of tracks, from fast ovals to road and street courses. The length of the races also varies, with some, like the Indianapolis 500, lasting 500 laps and taking over three hours to complete. Not surprisingly, refueling during pit stops is a big part of the strategy during IndyCar races. Teams can field more than two cars, meaning that the amount of drivers on the grid fluctuates from race to race.
IndyCar is mostly considered an American sport and does not have the same level of money and glamour associated with it compared to the globe-hopping F1 circuit.
Why should I care about F1?
F1 races might best be described as a sort of action-packed chess match that takes place while drivers are throttling around a track at close to 200 mph. Teams need both strategy and skill to compete against some of the best minds in motorsports.
F1 is also full of strong personalities. The Netflix documentary series F1: Drive to Survive follows many of the teams and drivers over the course of a year and has helped raise the profile of the sport in the US. Released in February, season 5 of the series chronicles last year’s rise of Red Bull and Verstappen and its effect on the other drivers. It also focuses on the internal battles between drivers on the same team, while giving viewers a peek into the tense, pressurized world of elite racing.
Does F1 stream on ESPN Plus?
ESPN does not air any F1 coverage on its ESPN Plus streaming service. If you want to watch the practices or races you will need a television provider of some kind or to pay for F1’s $80 per season TV Pro subscription.
When, where and what time are the races?
Races are held on Sunday and are usually spaced two weeks apart. Here’s the entire schedule, all times ET.
F1 2023 schedule
| Date | Race | Time |
|---|---|---|
| March 5 | Bahrain GP | 10 a.m. ET |
| March 19 | Saudi Arabian GP | 1 p.m. ET |
| April 2 | Australian GP | 1 a.m. ET |
| April 30 | Azerbaijan GP | 7 a.m. ET |
| May 7 | Miami GP | 3:30 p.m. ET |
| May 21 | Romagna GP | 9 a.m. ET |
| May 28 | Monaco GP | 9 a.m. ET |
| June 4 | Spanish GP | 9 a.m. ET |
| June 18 | Canadian GP | 2 p.m. ET |
| July 2 | Austrian GP | 9 a.m. ET |
| July 9 | British GP | 10 a.m. ET |
| July 23 | Hungarian GP | 9 a.m. ET |
| July 30 | Belgian GP | 9 a.m. ET |
| Aug. 27 | Dutch GP | 9 a.m. ET |
| Sept. 3 | Italian GP | 9 a.m. ET |
| Sept. 17 | Singapore GP | 8 a.m. ET |
| Sept. 24 | Japanese GP | 1 a.m. ET |
| Oct. 8 | Qatar GP | 1 p.m. ET |
| Oct. 22 | United States GP | 3 p.m. ET |
| Oct. 29 | Mexican GP | 4 p.m. ET |
| Nov. 5 | Brazil GP | 12 p.m. ET |
| Nov. 19 | Las Vegas GP | 1 a.m. ET |
| Nov. 26 | Abu Dhabi GP | 8 a.m ET |
How to watch F1 online from anywhere using a VPN
If you find yourself unable to view the game locally, you may need a different way to watch the game — 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 game 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, and you want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins.
With a VPN, you’re able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the game. Most VPNs, like our Editors’ Choice, ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this.
Using a VPN to watch or stream sports is legal in any country where VPNs are legal, including the US, UK and Canada, as long as you have a legitimate subscription to the service you’re streaming. You should be sure your VPN is set up correctly to prevent leaks: Even where VPNs are legal, the streaming service may terminate the account of anyone it deems to be circumventing correctly applied blackout restrictions.
Looking for other options? Be sure to check out some of the other great VPN deals taking place right now.
ExpressVPN is our current best VPN pick for people who want a reliable and safe VPN, and it works on a variety of devices. It’s normally $13 per month, and you can sign up for ExpressVPN and save 49% plus get three months of access for free — the equivalent of $6.67 per month — if you get an annual subscription.
Note that ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Livestream F1 racing in the UK
F1 in the UK is shown on Sky Sports and Channel 4 — Sky Sports airs the races, while Channel 4 gets practice rounds and qualifying. If you already have Sky Sports as part of your TV package, you can stream the game via its app, but cord-cutters will need to get the Sky Entertainment and Netflix package starting at £26 per month, plus an additional £20 per month to include Sky Sports.
Those in the UK will need Sky Sports to watch F1 racing in 2023. Those who subscribe to Sky will need the Complete Sports package or the £18 a month Sky Sports F1 package in order to get the games.
Cord-cutters will need to spend £46 a month to get the Sky Entertainment and Netflix package, along with the Sky Sports bundle.
Best options for streaming in the US without cable
Race weekends normally start on Friday with multiple practice runs and continue on Saturday with qualifying. The races themselves take place Sunday. ESPN typically airs practices and qualifying on a mix of ESPN 2 and ESPNews, while the races tend to air on ESPN. F1 events in North America often land on ABC.
Here are some of the best ways to catch the entire race weekend without cable.
Hulu Plus Live TV is now cheaper than YouTube TV, and offers all the channels you need to watch every second of race weekend. As an added bonus, Hulu Plus Live TV comes with the rest of the Disney Bundle, which includes a subscription to Disney Plus, as well as ESPN Plus. F1 races don’t air on ESPN Plus, but the service offers a ton of other content for die-hard sports fans.
You can catch the entire race weekend with a subscription to YouTube TV, but its price went up to $73 earlier this year. ABC, ESPN, ESPN 2 and ESPNews are all included in the package, which means you’ll have all the channels you need in order to watch every second of the action.
Sling TV’s $40 Orange plan might be a good choice for F1 fans who are primarily looking to just watch the races on Sundays. This plan is one of the cheapest ways to get access to ESPN and ESPN 2. Those looking for ESPNews will have to opt for the $11 Sports Extra ad-on. Sling TV lacks ABC, which could be a problem for fans hoping to catch the F1 races in North America.
FuboTV costs $75 per month and includes ABC, ESPN and ESPN 2. The base package lacks ESPNews, but you can add it for an extra $8 a month with the Fubo Extra Package or pay for the $85-a-month Elite streaming tier that includes Fubo Extra. Check out which local networks FuboTV offers here.
DirecTV Stream is the most expensive live TV streaming service. Its cheapest, $75-a-month Plus package includes ESPN, ESPN 2 and ABC, but you’ll need to move up to the $100-a-month Choice plan to get ESPNews. You can use its channel lookup tool to see which local channels are available in your area.
For gearheads looking to get every angle on the action, F1 offers its own streaming service. F1 TV Pro costs $80 per season, or $10 per month, and gives fans access to all races from F1, F2, F3 and Porsche Supercup. You’ll be able to livestream every track session from all F1 Grands Prix and have access to all driver onboard cameras and team radios. You’ll also be able to watch full on-demand races, replays and highlights, along with F1’s historic race archive.
F1 also offers a TV Access Plan for $27 per year, or $3 per month, which only gives you on-demand access to races once they have been completed. You will still be able to view all F1 onboard cameras, along with full replays of F1, F2, F3 and Porsche Supercup. It also includes the historic race archive.
Technologies
White House Joins TikTok With New Account. Here’s What It’s Posted So Far
An official White House account has shown up on TikTok, with one video featuring the caption: ‘We’re so back’.
The White House has officially joined TikTok, even as the administration is trying to help determine the future of the platform in the US.
So far, the TikTok account has four videos, a mix of videos of President Donald Trump speaking, footage of the White House itself over music and the caption: «We’re so back.» There’s also a video of Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt responding with hostility to a press conference question from a New York Times reporter, which is one way to set the tone early doors. As of this writing, the account had more than 123,000 followers so far.
The tagline for the account is: «Welcome to the Golden Age of America.»
After a move to ban TikTok in the US due to its Chinese ownership, the administration has delayed a shutdown as it seeks to help the company’s owner ByteDance, transfer ownership to a US company. There are expectations that new ownership could be announced as early as September as the company works on a US-only version of the TikTok mobile app.
Technologies
ROG Xbox Ally: Release Date, Specs, Price and How It Compares to Steam Deck
Can Microsoft and Asus give Valve some handheld competition?
The Steam Deck has yet to find a real competitor in the PC handheld gaming device battle. Other hardware companies, including Asus, Lenovo and MSI, have tried, but so far, their devices keep falling short. Asus plans to try to take another swipe at the crown, though, this time with the help of Microsoft.
In June, the two revealed their partnership for a new handheld device: the ROG Xbox Ally. This handheld will come in two variants and will attempt to bring the Xbox console experience to a portable device. Microsoft confirmed the release date for the Xbox Ally of Oct. 16 on Wednesday, but there are still some questions about the handheld.
Will the Xbox Ally outdo the Steam Deck, or will it wind up being just another wannabe?
How much will the Xbox Ally cost?
Neither Microsoft nor Asus has confirmed an official price yet. One thing for sure is that the Xbox Ally won’t be cheap.
Multiple leaks suggest the price will be 599 euros for the Xbox Ally and 899 euros for a higher-end version, the Xbox Ally X. That does leave the question of what the price will be in the US. Most likely, the price will be the same just in dollars, as that is the typical practice for gaming hardware prices.
Discount social media poster Wario64 tweeted Best Buy listings for the Xbox Ally, Xbox Ally X, charger dock, and case on Wednesday. There’s no pricing on the site for the devices, just a button to be notified when preorders become available. However, Wario64 states the pricing on the back end shows the Xbox Ally at $550 and the Xbox Ally X at $900, while the charging dock is listed on the site $100 and case for $70. The dock and case prices are on Best Buy and are accurate. It’s unclear if Microsoft changed plans at the last minute.
Best Buy has listed ROG Xbox Ally listings (no preorders yet)
Ally ($549.99) https://t.co/nmHw6Nxov3
Ally X ($899.99) https://t.co/Dts0GcUNFW
100W Charger Dock (HDMI 2.0, USB-A, USB-C) ($99.99) https://t.co/LkoKyunOE8
Case $69.99 https://t.co/jaTIBfWUXX
Confirming… pic.twitter.com/oalzcOON77— Wario64 (@Wario64) August 20, 2025
Microsoft didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment about the post.
The uncertainty about the price of the Xbox Ally is likely due to tariffs. Microsoft recently increased the prices of its Xbox Series consoles and Asus has done the same with its laptops and its current ROG Ally lineup.
When does the Xbox Ally come out?
Microsoft did confirm the release date of the Xbox Ally on Oct. 16. This date was mentioned in previous leaks regarding the handheld device’s price.
When can I preorder the Xbox Ally?
Preorders are not available as of yet. In the blog post about the release date, Microsoft says preordering and pricing will be announced sometime in the future. Best Buy does have the listings for the Xbox Ally, Xbox Ally X, charging dock and case, and those interested can request to be notified when preorders become available.
What’s the difference between the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X?
There are two versions of the Xbox Ally: the lower-priced Xbox Ally and the higher-priced Xbox Ally X.
The key differences between the two are in their processors, storage and memory. The Xbox Ally will have the AMD Ryzen Z2 A Processor, while the Xbox Ally X will use the faster AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme Processor. Memory will be different, with the lower-priced Xbox Ally having 16GB of LPDDR5X-6400 and the higher-cost handheld coming with 24GB LPDDR5X-8000. Both will come with SSD storage but the Xbox Ally will have 512GB and the Xbox Ally X will have 1TB. The Xbox Ally X will also come with a bigger battery but with a faster processor and more memory. It’s not clear if that difference in capacity translates to a longer battery life.
Specs for Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X
| ROG Xbox Ally | ROG Xbox Ally X | |
|---|---|---|
| Operating System | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Home |
| Controls and grip | Contoured grips inspired by Xbox Wireless Controllers deliver all-day comfort. ABXY buttons / D-pad / L & R Hall Effect analog triggers / L & R bumpers / Xbox button / View button / Menu button / Command Center button / Library button / 2x assignable back buttons / 2x full-size analog sticks / HD haptics / 6-axis IMU | Contoured grips inspired by Xbox Wireless Controllers deliver all-day comfort, complete with impulse triggers for enhanced control.ABXY buttons / D-pad / L & R impulse triggers / L & R bumpers / Xbox button / View button / Menu button / Command Center button / Library button / 2x assignable back buttons / 2x full-size analog sticks / HD haptics / 6-axis IMU |
| Processor | AMD Ryzen Z2 A Processor | AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme Processor |
| Memory | 16GB LPDDR5X-6400 | 24GB LPDDR5X-8000 |
| Storage | 512GB M.2 2280 SSD for easier upgrade | 1TB M.2 2280 SSD for easier upgrade |
| Display | 7-inch, 1080p, IPS, 500 nits, 16:9; 120Hz refresh rate, FreeSync Premium;Corning Gorilla Glass Victus + DXC Anti-Reflection | 7-inch, 1080p, IPS, 500 nits, 16:9; 120Hz refresh rate, FreeSync Premium;Corning Gorilla Glass Victus + DXC Anti-Reflection |
| I/O Ports | 2x USB-C (2 x DP 2.1, PD 3.0), 1x microSD, 1x analog audio | 2x USB-C (1x USB4, 1x USB 3.2 both w/ DP 2.1, PD 3.0), 1x micro SD, 1x analog audio |
| Network and Communication | Wi-Fi 6E (2 x 2), Bluetooth 5.4 | Wi-Fi 6E (2 x 2), Bluetooth 5.4 |
| Dimensions | 29.1×12.2×5.1 cm | 29.1×12.2×5.1 cm |
| Weight | 670g | 715g |
| Battery | 60Wh | 80Wh |
| Included | ROG Xbox Ally 65W charger Stand | ROG Xbox Ally X 65W charger Stand |
What makes the Xbox Ally different from the Steam Deck?
The most notable difference between the Xbox Ally and the Steam Deck is the operating system. Like the ROG Ally, the Xbox Ally will also use Windows 11, while the Steam Deck uses Valve’s SteamOS.
Even though every PC game works with Windows, handheld gaming devices running Windows have had serious issues, as the OS implementation has been a bit buggy. Portable consoles like the ROG Ally, MSI Claw and Lenovo Legion Go simply don’t run well with full Windows because the OS is designed for laptops and desktops and not handheld devices. SteamOS, however, is designed to run almost every game on Steam without issues and regardless of device size.
The Xbox Ally changes that by giving it an Xbox interface. This would be similar to how the Xbox app on PCs works for running games. It would also be able to download Xbox games directly to it, remote play them off a console or stream them via Xbox Cloud.
Another big difference is the hardware. The Steam Deck came out in 2022 and it was the first mass-produced handheld gaming device for PC. At the time, Valve had to use custom AMD processors but since then, AMD has produced more processors for handheld devices, which are now much more powerful in just a few years. The Xbox Ally would also have faster RAM. Both the improvement in processors and RAM should significantly increase the number of games the Xbox Ally can run versus the Steam Deck, which is already struggling to run newer games at 30fps.
Externally, the Xbox Ally will come with the same size 7-inch display but it will have a higher refresh rate of 120Hz, a brighter screen at 500 nits and increased resolution at 1080p. There will also be some slight differences in the physical size of the Xbox Ally, which will be a little bigger and heavier. Another difference from the Steam Deck is that the Xbox Ally controls will be more similar to the Xbox controller.
Microsoft and Asus have a large hill to climb if they plan to have the Xbox Ally dethrone the Steam Deck. It will be especially tough if Valve decides to announce the Steam Deck 2 soon.
Technologies
Sony Raises Prices of PlayStation 5 consoles
Starting Thursday, you can expect to pay more for a new PlayStation, thanks to «a challenging economic environment.»
Sony will increase the prices of its PlayStation 5 consoles in the US, starting Thursday, Aug. 21. This follows the trend of console manufacturers such as Microsoft and Nintendo raising prices for their hardware in response to tariffs.
The PlayStation-maker posted about the pricing on Wednesday. The jump in price is $50 more than the current price for each model.
The new prices are:
- PlayStation 5: $500 to $550
- PlayStation 5 Digital Edition: $450 to $500
- PlayStation 5 Pro: $700 to $750
«Similar to many global businesses, we continue to navigate a challenging economic environment,» Sony said in a post about the price increase.
Back in March, Microsoft increased the price of the Xbox Series consoles back in May, and Nintendo hiked the original Switch console price and Switch 2 accessories earlier this month.
While the companies didn’t point to the tariffs instituted by President Donald Trump as the reason for the hardware price jump, it would explain the trend in recent months.
