Will Power begins Andretti era as 2026 IndyCar season starts in St Petersburg
Two-time champion Will Power makes his debut for Andretti Global on Sunday as the 2026 IndyCar season begins on the streets of St Petersburg.
The Australian veteran has ended a defining 17-year association with Team Penske to join their rivals.
It marks the headline move of the offseason, with the 2018 Indianapolis 500 winner taking a seat vacated by Colton Herta.
A fresh start for Power
Power turns 45 on race day, marking the start of a new chapter comparable to Fernando Alonso’s late-career switch to Aston Martin.
The Toowoomba-born driver felt viewed as a “devalued commodity” during the final year of his previous contract.
Instead of a short-term fix, he has secured a fresh three-year deal negotiated by Alonso’s management firm, A14.
“I sat down with [his manager] while we were talking at the beginning of ’25 and we said that the best-case scenario was having a spot at Andretti, because I felt like it’s going to become the best team,” Power said.
“They’ve got all the ingredients there. So it’s funny that it worked out the way it has.”
The Penske departure
The switch was facilitated by Herta’s departure to pursue Formula 2 racing and Formula 1 testing with Cadillac.
Power admitted that options were limited until the seat at Andretti Global became available late in the year.
He had been waiting for former team owner Roger Penske to decide on his future.
“Honestly, in the middle of the year, if Roger just offered me a one-year deal, yeah, we would have taken it, because there was no seat to be had,” Power explained.
Despite a difficult 2025 campaign, the veteran remains the sport’s all-time pole position record holder.
He was also the first driver to secure a win for Penske last season, taking victory at Portland.
Chasing history and redemption
While Power seeks reclamation, the 2026 grid features other major narratives for the 1.8-mile street course opener.
Former Formula 1 driver Mick Schumacher arrives in the United States looking to rehabilitate his career in open-wheel racing.
Meanwhile, Spanish star Álex Palou begins his quest for further history as he attempts to solidify his status among the series’ all-time greats.