IndyCar driver Will Power starts the year with his first tyre test for Andretti Global. In 2025, Power’s historic career with Team Penske came to an end. Joining the team in 2009, Power scored two championships, 45 wins — including the 2018 Indy 500 — and 71 pole positions. Now, the Australian driver starts a new chapter in his IndyCar career.
2026 sees a major shake-up to the IndyCar grid. AJ Foyt’s David Malukas steps into Power’s former No. 12 seat at Team Penske. Power moves to Colton Herta’s former No. 26 seat at Andretti, as he stepped away to pursue a shot at Formula 1 with Cadillac. In 2026, Herta will serve as a test driver for Cadillac and in Formula 2 with Hitech TGR.
Power reflected on his move to Andretti following his test with the team at Phoenix Raceway on January 7, 2026.
Power “excited” to be with Andretti for 2026 IndyCar season
The two-time IndyCar champion expressed excitement about his opportunity to participate in the tyre test with Andretti. Power highlighted the team’s potential for growth, having scored three race wins during the 2025 season.
“I was very happy when I heard that I get to do the tyre test, just fit in the car and just get used to the people and the way things work in this team. So pretty crucial. And you don’t get much testing, so any time you can get in the car, it’s a big deal.
“It felt very sort of weird the first time I rocked up and there’s all the Penske people and I’m going over to the Andretti truck. But man, it’s the same stuff — you’re sitting there, you’re working with people, you’re trying to extract the most out of the car. I look at this team as, it’s got a lot of potential, it’s a great team. I mean, they won three races last year.”
Power also spoke about his excitement to be with Andretti for the 2026 IndyCar season.
“I said to Oriol [Servia], my manager, at the beginning of the year — we actually talked about it — said if we could end up at Andretti, we’d be pretty happy and that happened. So excited to be here and want to get some serious results.”
Power: “I wasn’t ready to retire”
Power spoke about his considerations for continuing in IndyCar with Andretti after his final season with Team Penske. He highlighted his strengths as a driver, claiming he is not ready to retire from the sport. In 2025, Power finished P9 in the IndyCar standings, scoring a win at Portland.
“I love competing. I love racing. Out of interest, I was just thinking to myself, ‘How can I perform in another team?’ That’s something I’ve always wondered. I just wasn’t ready to retire. I mean, I enjoy the sport and I’m still able to win races, I’m still very quick and I have a tonne of experience. So I felt like it would be a waste to not continue.”
Power wants to show others he is capable of scoring wins with a new team. The Australian driver moved to Andretti following 17 years at Team Penske. After a historic career with a single team, he aims to continue his legacy with Andretti.
“Subconsciously, you want to get out there and prove a bit of a point. I’m sure that’s it’s in there, but when it gets down to the nitty gritty, I just go about my business the same way. Do all the preparation and put my best foot forward to make sure we can get some results.”
Power on importance of IndyCar tyre test with Andretti
The Australian driver highlighted the importance of tyre tests, particularly when trying to enmesh with his new team. Power explained that participating in team debriefs has already allowed to team to start talking about improvements.
“Well, this is a great start because you actually have something to talk about. And we have an upcoming test, so we can already be talking about improvements. Just basic things like fitting in the car properly, the way they go about debriefs and all that sort of stuff. So yeah, really handy to have to have done this [testing] today.”
