After 17 years, two IndyCar championships and a 2018 Indianapolis 500 win, Will Power's tenure with Team Penske has concluded, with the driver and team mutually announcing Tuesday that Power won't return to Team Penske for the 2026 season.
With Power's contract set to expire at the end of the just-completed 2025 IndyCar season, whether the Australian would return to Penske for an 18th year was a frequently asked question throughout the season. Speculation significantly ramped up in recent weeks that the two parties would go in a different direction, with Penske seemingly keen on bringing in a younger driver than the 44-year-old Power.
Power earned 42 of his 45-career IndyCar wins behind the wheel of a Penske car. His 45 IndyCar wins rank fourth all-time, trailing only A.J. Foyt (67), Scott Dixon (59) and Mario Andretti (52). Power's 71-career pole positions are the most in series history.
"As we sat down to talk about our future together, Will felt that it was time for him to make a change, beginning with next season," team owner Roger Penske said in a statement. "He has been an outstanding driver and teammate for our organization. His results speak for themselves, and we wish him the very best in the next phase of his career."
Penske has not named a replacement for Power, though 23-year-old David Malukas is considered the leading candidate. Malukas drove for the Penske-affiliated A.J. Foyt Racing this season, finishing a career-best 11th in the final points standings.
Power finished ninth in the standings, best among Penske's three drivers. Scott McLaughlin finished 10th and Josef Newgarden 12th. Penske experienced an uncharacteristically turbulent season, marked by a cheating scandal in May that preceded the Indianapolis 500 and a lack of performance on the track. The team didn't win its first race until Power's victory last month in Portland, Ore., the penultimate race of the season. Newgarden followed by winning the season-ending race Sunday in Nashville, Tenn.
"It's been the honor of my life to drive for Roger and the Penske organization," Power said in a statement. "We have accomplished so much together, and I will always be grateful for my time with the team and my teammates who have supported me along the way. After much consideration, I felt like a change for me was the right move at this time."
Where Power lands next is also not settled, but he has said he's not interested in retiring and plans on continuing racing in IndyCar. Multiple reports have linked him to Andretti Global, owned by Dan Towriss, who also owns the new Cadillac Formula One team and co-owns Spire Motorsports, which fields three entries in NASCAR's premier Cup Series.