The over-the-top service F1 TV Pro is expected to launch ahead of the Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix 2018 but there is sad news for South Africans.

Earlier this month Formula 1 revealed that it would launch its online streaming service in May ahead of the race weekend in Catalunya, Spain.

The service will feature all 20 driver cameras, side-by-side live race viewing and more. Subscribers will be able to access all practice and qualifying sessions as well as press conferences and interviews before and after the race.

In short, it’s an F1 fan’s dream service.

Well, as long as you’re among the countries that the service will be available in.

Notable absentees from the launch of F1 TV Pro include Australia, the UK, and South Africa. Why exactly these countries were not included in the launch of the service is unclear but we’ve contacted Tata Communications to get more information.

We suspect that the delay has to do with licensing issues but we’ll wait for an official explanation.

There is something of a silver lining for F1 fans in SA that refuse to pay for satellite TV.

F1 TV Access is a cheaper, non-live subscription tier that provides users with live race timing data, radio broadcasts and extended highlights from the race weekend. Formula 1 says that F1 TV Access will be available to a “near-global” audience at launch.

Whether that global audience includes South Africa remains to be seen.

F1 TV Pro will be available on a desktop at first with plans to launch bespoke apps for Apple, Android, and Amazon Fire devices later on in the season. The service will cost users $70 – $150 (~R869,94 – R1864,16) a year or between $8 – $12 (~R99,42 – R149,13) per month.

[Image – CC BY SA Artes Max]