Power’s exit from Team Penske has been unceremonious at best, and a driver of his calibre deserves better.
The Australian is the second-longest tenured driver in Team Penske history, second only to Helio Castroneves.
It is one of US motorsport’s greatest driver-team partnerships, netting two championships, an Indianapolis 500 win, and a record-setting number of pole positions – 71 all up.
After 17 years, the announcement of a split came by way of a written statement splattered on social media.
Was a win at Nashville really going to flip the script on whether Power and Penske continued into 2026? It’s hard to reconcile, especially when the IndyCar paddock was convinced a split was imminent.
The mood in Nashville was awkward. The question mark hung over Power, and for what? Surely the call could have been made and communicated earlier to give Power the send-off he deserved.
Even comments from Power’s teammate Josef Newgarden after winning at Nashville seemed to suggest his fate was sealed.
“Obviously Will won in Portland, which was a huge lift for everybody and he really deserved it, and I think he could have won this race today,” said Newgarden.
“It was a shame to see what happened to him. He’s a legend. I was on the radio, I was like, ‘Did you guys see Will? What a legend’.”
In 2023, Power signed his last two-year deal. He has long raced under a cloud with AJ Foyt Racing’s David Malukas thought to be the heir apparent to the #12 car.
Power, now 44, has long maintained his desire to continue racing – and his race-winning performance at Portland put to bed any doubts about his capacity.
Age is just a number, after all.
Power has maintained that he has several years left in him. When it came time to negotiate, it’s understood he sought a three-year extension. That would have matched the 20-year spell of Castroneves before him.
In the end, Penske couldn’t give him what he wanted. In the statement, Power said: “I felt like a change for me was the right move at this time” – but it seems his hand was forced.
Have IndyCar fans seen the last of Will Power? Hopefully not. Throughout the ordeal, there has been a quiet confidence from the Power camp that there is interest in his services.
Paddock insiders have Power linked to a deal with Andretti Global to replace Colton Herta, who is seemingly bound for the FIA Formula 2 Championship and eventually Formula 1 with Cadillac.
Power isn’t the first, and won’t be the last, to have such treatment. A humble driver will say the sport owes them nothing, but the reality is they deserve to be celebrated.
For a team as successful as Penske, the handling of Power’s exit is a bitter pill to swallow for the industry and its fans. It’s hard to think Chip Ganassi would do the same to Scott Dixon when his time is up.
Power deserves more than a series of social media posts. Nashville should have been a celebration, not the quagmire it turned out to be.
“I never thought I’d end up teammates with a true motorsport legend but this crazy journey brought me there,” Power’s teammate Scott McLaughlin wrote.
“I have enjoyed learning from you and trying to hone my craft to be as precise as you are. I’ve still got a ways to go but I will always cherish the time we spent working together.
“I wish you all the best on the next journey, proud to call you a teammate but even more proud to call you friend.”
Alex Palou won four of the last five IndyCar titles. The only other winner? Will Power.
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