Fantasy Racing - Shanghai and Long Beach

Finally! After a couple of weeks off, F1 is back in action in Shanghai! Even better, IndyCar is running the same weekend at Long Beach. You know what that means: time to make our picks for your fantasy racing team this weekend!


Let's start with Formula1 UBS Chinese Grand Prix at Shanghai:

Things to keep note of:

• Michael Schumacher is at the top of the speed charts going into qualification day. Is Mercedes a team that will contend? This weekend we'll find out for sure. MSC on the podium again? Not out of the question.
• The McLaren cars look extremely fast yet again, but they have been having some front-wheel brake issues this week so far. Should we be concerned?
• Ferrari has vanished from the speed charts yet again, with Fernando Alonso barely cracking the top 10...seriously? Can he and Massa charge through the field again?
• Watch for a couple drivers from smaller teams who look quick so far this weekend: Force India's Paul di Resta and Sauber's Kamui Kobayashi. Podium though? Who knows!

THE PICKS:

1st: Lewis Hamilton
2nd: Sebastian Vettel
3rd: Michael Schumacher
Fastest Lap Time: Jenson Button
Fastest Pit Stops: Sebastian Vettel



Now, for the IndyCar Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach:

• All teams with Chevy engines made an engine switch this week after finding issues on James Hinchcliffe's car after a practice at Infineon. All will suffer a 10 spot grid penalty. (How will this work when now 14 cars of 26 all having to take a 15 spot penalty? Your guess is as good as mine...) So this is the week to take some smaller name racers from Honda and maybe even Lotus (though some Lotus guys made an engine switch too).
• Mike Conway won the Grand Prix of Long Beach last year with Andretti Autosport and is quick again with AJ Foyt Racing. Oh, he's Honda powered too!
• Don't trust the speed charts from the first day of practice...only three Honda cars took any laps due to inclement weather and wanting to save tires. Sadly, all picks are to be locked ahead of time, so stick with trends from previous years and races.
• Target Chip Ganassi Racing still struggling, especially defending champ Dario Franchitti. The other Ganassi Boys of Graham Rahal and Charlie Kimball are ones to keep an eye on this week.

THE PICKS:

1. Mike Conway
2. Graham Rahal
3. Simon Pagenaud
4. Takuma Sato
5. Charlie Kimball