Will Power is an Andretti driver, and few saw it coming.
After 17 years at Penske, Power took the decision to leave and now everyone knows why he made that decision - because Colton Herta’s move to F2 opened up his seat at Andretti.
Power has discussed the move in more detail, including an incredibly frank and forthcoming assessment of how things ended at Penske, his dealings with the team in the final year of his contract and more.
“It's just the right time,” Power told the Ask Off Track Podcast, which featured Power, TWG Motorsports CEO Dan Towriss and Herta.
“I knew in my gut, when you get to my age, you know when it's time to make a change, and that was my feeling from the outset.”
When Power’s Penske doubts started
In terms of a timeline, ultimately Power didn’t make the final decision to leave Penske until around the time he broke the team’s win drought at Portland in August, after a full season of everyone knowing he was coming to the end of his then-current contract.
He’d had permission from Roger Penske to chat to other teams - he wonders if that was because Penske was evaluating him, his replacement or both - and Andretti didn’t start to seriously explore a future without F2-bound Herta until June, almost a month after Power had been given that permission.
But the foundational elements of Power’s decision to leave go even further back, to the year before. Power admitted that if Penske had offered him a deal in May, he would have taken it, but 2024 still clearly impacted him.
“It started way back in '24,” Power explains.
“I know, when I signed my last contract, I did go back to Tim Cindric (then in charge of Penske’s IndyCar operation) and say, ‘Hey, I would like to do three years’.
“It was around about in conversation, like, we'll talk at the end of '24 and if you're still performing, still doing well, we'll keep going.
“Well, I won three races in '24. I was the only driver that went into the last race with a shot to win the championship against Palou. So at that point, I was like, ‘Well, I'm sure they're going to speak to me in the off season’.
“That never happened. They never actually said a word.
“So I was pissed off going into May about it. I was pissed off going into the season about it. I was pissed off that 'you're not even going to say anything'. That's true.
“Roger wasn't aware when I said that to him, something along the lines of that was even the case. So, yeah, maybe I should have just called Roger.
“But yeah, I just thought what driver in the field wouldn't be signed after winning three races, the champion won two. That's Palou. I won three. Like, come on.”
It does feel a bit as though Penske couldn’t make up its mind over if Power was worth committing to for the long haul. Power says after winning at Portland - that was just last month remember - he says “I did get a text from Roger after that race, it didn't confirm anything, just kind of said, 'Oh, this might help your situation for next year'.”
As Power pointed out to the media, hilariously around that time, the two-time champion and Indy 500 winner said any teams wondering if he was good enough should “just go back to last year and you'll f**king know".
Eventually, after the dust had settled after Portland Penske offered Power a flight to Detroit to discuss his future, and they “did offer me something and I just said, look, I think it's the right time for me to leave”.
Clearly, Power holds no grudges, calling Penske and “amazing team” and says he will be “forever grateful for what Roger has done for me”.
This impassioned declaration did come with more fascinating insight about Power’s loyalty to Penske.
“I was very loyal all the way through,” Power said.
“Never entertained another team. I had teams call me, offer me more money. I just didn't even [entertain] it. And the deals I did, it's hardly any negotiating. I almost asked them what they thought was fair.
“That was sort of relationship I had. So it was very good. And so that's how it should be, both parties have got to be very happy with the situation. And it was always that at Penske.”
Without being prompted to, he did give his take on who would likely get his seat next year. “I'm guessing it'll be Malukas,” he said.
Inspired by Towriss
There are a few elements to Power’s desire to switch to Andretti, but it’s clear the CEO of the company that runs the IndyCar team, Dan Towriss, is a big draw for Power.
“The first time I ever talked to Dan, I just thought that he's a very intelligent guy,” says Power.
“He was very aware of what needed to change within his team, which is, sometimes unusual, I'd say, for a guy in his position, who is not there day to day.
“But he really understood, Hey, I know these have things have got to change at that team. And was very determined to make all happen.”
Towriss claims Power came up to him at Road America and said 'I want to drive for you'.
It’s clear Towriss was as impressed with Power as vice versa.
“I don't think I appreciated just how intense his work ethic is, and how much of a technician he is, and how detailed he is,” said Towriss.
“So as I got to know him a little bit more as a race car driver, I was just like, I want this guy on my team.”
Towriss also confirmed this is a multi-year deal, a detail absent from the official announcement information.
What does Power expect
There’s an implied understanding that the restructuring Power says Towriss wants to do means this team isn’t the finished product, and that’s fair. While its drivers haven’t been mistake free or always consistent, this team can be guilty of shooting itself in the foot with pit, strategy and reliability issues too.
But Power also feels he has something to prove.
“I'll tell you what's left to prove, is that you could be incredibly competitive in your 40s,” he says.
“You can still win races and championships, and your performance does not drop off.”
When asked what he is most looking forward too, predictably one of the answers was driving Andretti’s somewhat dominant street course car that has some picking Power as a favourite for pole in the 2026 season opener at St Petersburg already!
The other is an intriguing notion that he is keen to feel a Honda engine for the first time in this IndyCar rules cycle.
With what is believed to be more power lower down and different drivability feeling and settings, it will be fascinating to chart Power’s feedback next year after so long in Chevrolet-powered equipment.
How many more years does he have in IndyCar?
When asked how long he could race on, the 44-year old said “let’s check back in in three years”. Is that a hint at how long his Andretti contract runs for?
“I would say five years, you can still be very competitive, as long as you don't slacken off in any way,” he continued.
“It's a constantly changing game, and you've got to keep updating.”
As long as Power is performing, his record and experience will make him a vital cog in any team. He continues to defy time through his ability and work ethic.
Eventually, time will catch up with him, but clearly it's finding it difficult to match Power’s prodigious pace…
