INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — If Will Power had his way, he'd keep racing for Team Penske — maybe five more years.
He certainly believes he can keep winning IndyCar races for that long.
The 2018 Indianapolis 500 champion and two-time series champ announced Wednesday he's hired an agent for the first time in his career as he enters the final season of his current contract amid speculation he may not return in 2026 with the powerhouse team.
“I think I can be absolutely competitive for another five years. You know that is the goal, to definitely keep that rolling while I'm really competitive,” Power said during the final session of this week's two media days in Indianapolis. ”I was very competitive last year — won three races and (made) seven podiums. So still performing at a really high level, and, yeah, if I wasn't performing, I wouldn't want to do it. I'm still learning."
The Australian had the best shot of winning last season's title until a loose seat belt cost him points in the season finale, dropping him into fourth — one spot behind teammate Scott McLaughlin. Yet that has not tempered the rumors.
Some believe Team Penske is interested in adding 23-year-old David Malukas next season. Malukas drives for A.J. Foyt Racing, which has a technical partnership with Team Penske. Power even acknowledged Wednesday, he's heard the chatter.
But after his victory at Portland late last season, Power emphatically said he wasn't retiring and now, with an expiring contract, Power decided to join forces with A14 Management, a new company launched by Spanish drivers Fernando Alonso and Oriol Servia. It's the biggest signing yet for Alonso, a Formula 1 driver and two-time world champ, and Servia, a longtime open-wheel driver and one-team teammate of Power who is now IndyCar’s pace car driver.
Power, who turns 44 in March, joined Team Penske in 2009 and owns the series career record for poles, surpassing Mario Andretti's previous mark of 67 in 2022. Power now has won 70 poles though last season was his first IndyCar season since 2008.
The longtime driver of the Verizon-sponsored No. 12 Chevrolet also ranks fourth all-time with 44 career wins. Only A.J. Foyt (67), Scott Dixon (58) and Andretti (52) have reached victory lane more often.
But Power also has seen aging teammates such as Helio Castroneves, Juan Pablo Montoya, and Simon Pagenaud — all Indy winners — move on from Penske's IndyCar team.
Power could be next.
But he now has a team to negotiate both a new IndyCar contract as well as potential races outside the series. Power was scheduled to compete in the Rolex 24 at Daytona in 2023 but withdrew when his wife was hospitalized with a life-threatening staph infection.
He's also expressed interest in competing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and perhaps even the Daytona 500 as Castroneves will do for the first time next month. And there are other races on his bucket list that also could be intriguing.
His new team seems to be uniquely qualified to help in whatever capacity it can.
“(Servia) has been a very good friend of mine, and I have a lot of respect for Fernando,” Power said. “(Alonso) has a lot of contacts in Europe, which if you want to get in with a team that can win Le Mans or something like that would be very handy for me. But ultimately, I don't want to think about anything but driving here.”
So while Power understands the questions about his future plans are likely to accelerate, not dissipate, throughout the 2025 season, he has made a move that even he seems to believe was overdue — hiring representation so he can keep the focus on winning races.
And perhaps landing one more contract with Team Penske.
“It isn't my choice, obviously, because I don't own the team,” Power said after thanking IndyCar CEO Roger Penske for giving him the car he's been driving. “But at the end of the day, if you're winning races and you're (finishing) very strong, that's the best defense you have for any of that stuff.”
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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
Michael Marot, The Associated Press
