"I was loyal all the way through" - how Power and Penske came to an unflattering end
- Dan Jones
- Sep 10
- 17 min read
Updated: Sep 11
Will Power. Team Penske.
It's a combination of a sporting individual and organisation that have a level of synonymity that only some of the greatest in their fields do. Lionel Messi and Barcelona, Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, Jimmie Johnson and Hendrick Motorsports.
For an athlete in any sport to show a level of unwavering loyalty over 17 years is a very rare feat in modern day competition, particularly one to be just as top of their game as they were when that relationship first started. But yet, a partnership which has stood the test of the time in an increasingly volatile motorsport landscape comes to an abrupt and unflattering end, much unlike the glorious send-offs of others previously mentioned.
A Penske-funded move for David Malukas to sign with AJ Foyt Racing for the 2025 IndyCar season was a statement in more ways than one. From that point onward, it was Penske's most loyal figurehead on the chopping block, the one who had shown unprecedented commitment from the smallest of opportunities some 16 years ago.
The impending cut never seemed to disappear with no re-assurances seemingly given, no matter what talking was done on the race track. Even when that figurative talking was done on-track there was no desperation or no want to do the literal talking off-track which ultimately caused the demise of one of IndyCar's longest-tenured partnerships.
Power's story with Penske has yielded great success. Two championships, an Indianapolis 500 victory, 42 wins, 65 poles and 101 podiums. For that story to come to an end in such unceremonious fashion is unjust for Power's success and puts Penske in the limelight for potential mistreatment of their veteran driver. But how did Power and Penske come to such a disappointing end?
2024 marked a bounce-back year for Power. After a 2023 where Power's priorities lay off-track due to serious health concerns for his wife Liz, 2024 gave the Australian a chance to do what he does best. That's exactly what he did. Power claimed three victories and seven podiums on his way to fourth in points and was Álex Palou's closest challenger throughout the course of the year. It put beyond any reasonable doubt that Power was still good enough in his 40s to race at the top level of IndyCar.
That was important for Power. He'd been advised by Team Penske President Tim Cindric that they would host discussions at the end of 2024 about Power's future if they felt the Australian was still at a level where he was competitive. There was no doubt in Power's mind that he had a strong enough season to warrant those further discussions.
Penske and Cindric "never said a word."
In fact, Roger Penske had no knowledge that Cindric had stated this to Power. It put Power in a mindset of frustration and of doubt heading into what was now an even more important season with his future now suddenly on the line.
"I was pissed off going into the season about it," Power said. "I was pissed off that they weren’t going to say anything. I just thought, what driver in the field wouldn’t be signed after winning three races? The champion won two. That’s Palou. I won three.”
With nothing sorted over the off-season, questions would inevitably be asked to Power about his future, the first of which coming on IndyCar's annual content days. He was clear about his expectations.
"That's ultimately the goal."
What was that goal? It was to race in IndyCar with another five seasons with the hope being that those years were with Team Penske. What was abundantly clear though is that despite Power's status within the team, this was not going to be a decision he made.
"It isn't my choice, obviously, because I don't own the team. It always becomes complicated.
"But at the end of the day if you're winning races and you're very strong, that's the best defense you have against any of that stuff. That's difficult to do, and if you're doing that, you probably should be driving in that series. You deserve a seat."
Ever since Malukas' shock move to Foyt had been announced, it was not difficult to put two-and-two together. With both Josef Newgarden and Scott McLaughlin under long-term deals at the team there was only one seat available in the short-term at Penske - that which had belonged to Power since 2009.
"I keep getting told that by various people," Power said about claims that Malukas would take his seat in 2026. "Honestly I haven't been told anything by the team from that side of things. I'm sure there might be some truth to that, I suppose, if it's out there."
Power certainly didn't have guarantees. That was easy to read that between the lines after it had been announced that very morning that he had signed with Fernando Alonso's management agency, A14 Management, where he would be managed by his ex-teammate, Oriol Servià.
Despite Power's reputation and status, this was the first time in his career he felt having a manager and an agent was necessary. Alonso's contacts in Europe were significant for Power particularly with his ambitions to race at the 24 Hours of Le Mans - and maybe those were the first indications that Power did not feel assured he would continue to hold the No.12 Penske seat that he has since 2009.
"I don't want to think about anything but driving. I've usually done it [contract re-negotiations] by myself, but at the end of the day it's all about performance and enjoying driving and not thinking about the other stuff. That's kind of why I did that."
Power's year where he wanted to focus on the driving could not have started in more disastrous fashion. His season opener on the Streets of St. Petersburg lasted two corners after being involved in an accident with Louis Foster and Nolan Siegel. It set the tone for what would turn out to be a disastrous year for Team Penske.
It was a strong bounce back from that point forward though. The Thermal Club spelled disaster for Penske who were completely devoid of pace - but saw Power recover from 21st to sixth whilst his teammates finished 13th and 27th respectively. Quiet outings on the Streets of Long Beach and Barber Motorsports Park yielded consecutive top five finishes., with his build-up to the Indianapolis 500 rounded out with a third-place finish on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course.
By this point, Malukas had no top 10 finishes to his name with a best finish of 13th, lying 19th in the championship. Power on the other hand lay seventh in points even after his effective non-score at St. Petersburg.
With the 'Month of May' fast approaching, there was not a chance for Power and Penske to focus on contract negotiations. But, there was re-assurances from Cindric made earlier in the year that once the hectic Indianapolis 500 programme was over, it would give a chance to look toward the future.
“For us, we’ll get through May," Cindric said. "Then we’ll start to focus on what next year will be like. The fact is, Will’s close to the twilight of his career, and there becomes a bigger emphasis on ‘How long-term do you go?’ or ‘How do you approach it?’ But I think we’ll go business as usual until that time.”
Come qualifying day for the 109th Running of the Indianapolis 500, Power's future Penske aspirations changed in a blink of an eye.
After the team were found to have illegal filler in their attenuator, both Power and Newgarden were relegated to the back of the field for the Indianapolis 500. In the wake of a second Penske cheating scandal in 18 months, Roger Penske had enough. Cindric was removed along with Penske's Managing Director Ron Ruzewski and their General Manager Kyle Moyer.
Suddenly, Power's point-of-contact for contract negotiations were gone. The post-Indianapolis 500 talks with Cindric could no longer happen. Penske's usual mantra of getting contracts done early in the year would not play into Power's hands. His future now really hung in the balance.
That belief was only re-affirmed after further comments from Power at World Wide Technoloyy Raceway when asked about his future: "Nothing's changed. Same scenario. I don't think anyone will know till after the season."
Newgarden had his contract renewal announced prior to Detroit in 2024. McLaughlin had his new deal announced at the season opener in St. Petersburg. Even being just halfway through the season, Power knew that he would have to wait until September for clarity.
One caveat that shook up Power's future further is the fact he had an exclusivity clause with Penske until September 1st - the day after IndyCar's season finale at Nashville Superspeedway. There seemed no opportunity to be speaking to other teams about the future that he currently had no control over.
With the No.12 Penske seat being the first domino in the driver market, it was expected that any announcement would cause a chain reaction, with no teams willing to negotiate any other contracts until it was clear what Power's future with Penske would look like.
What became a problem for Power is that as Penske's nightmare season came into full swing is that Malukas and AJ Foyt Racing had started to come into form. Malukas claimed second at the Indianapolis 500 after competing for victory for the majority of the race, Power lay just 16th. Malukas would qualify on the front row next time out in Detroit and ran in the podium positions before he clumsily collided with Palou.
When the show hit Malukas' strongest venue at Gateway, Power claimed a very timely pole position - his first in almost two years. That wouldn't last long though as Malukas cycled up to the lead from fourth, passing Power on the opening lap before the two exchanged positions during the opening stint.
It had been shaping up to be a blockbuster battle between the two for victory until a tyre failure caused Power's day to end after just 47 laps. Malukas' own chance at victory evaporated when he made minor contact with the wall midway through.
The following five races saw four finishes outside the top 10 which included engine failures at both Mid-Ohio and Iowa. Meanwhile, Malukas was starring again, with just an untimely caution stopping him from a maiden IndyCar victory at Iowa's second race.
Around this time, with negotiations stalled and Power's future looking increasingly dim, Penske gave the Australian permission to contact other teams in hope of securing himself a future in 2026.,
Come Toronto though, despite Power being able to speak to other teams there seemed to be an indication his preferred landing spot was still with Penske.
"Every race, every session. It just matters, you know? Can you believe the year I'm having, in a contract year? Two engine failures in two race weekends. Not bad luck. It just happens at times.
"We'll see. Just keep pushing. Still got five races to have great results. I've had great cars everywhere. We're quick. Can only smile about it because I've been in the sport a long time. I just know these sort of things come round. It's very typical of life that a bad year would play out when you're trying to get a contract.
"Yeah, man, but I love it here. I do. I really hope I'm back next year."
After another disastrous weekend for Penske at Toronto and an underwhelming affair at Laguna Seca, the team now embarked on their longest winless streak since the turn of the millennium. It was a catastrophic season in every regard and with just three races to go, the team looked in serious peril of going 2025 without finding themselves in Victory Lane.
As the show headed into Portland with just three races to go, speculation about the No.12 was at an all-time high. After qualifying fourth, Power was promoted to third on the grid after Christian Lundgaard was subject to an engine penalty. He driver he'd share that row with? Malukas. It felt as if it could be the final turning point into the decision - the one that could determine who would line up in Verizon overalls for 2026.
With just three chances left to stop Penske going winless amidst their catastrophic 2025 season, it was the driver who had no certainty with the team that brought them back to the promised land. After a strategic masterclass which was executed to the finest degree, Power came up with the goods to take Penske's first victory in 16 races and prevent a first winless season since 1999.
He had saved the Captain's squad from near-embarrassment in a victory that spoke 1000 words. Maybe the sweetest side of it all for Power? The driver he had shared the second row with was lapped by the Australian in the closing stages.
It had felt at this point Power had nothing left to prove. He had done the job he needed to do and put beyond any reasonable doubt that he was still operating at a level where he deserved to still hold one of the top seats in IndyCar. Power had now elevated himself to sixth in points, Malukas lay 10th and neither of his teammates were inside the top 10. If there were any doubts in people's minds who Penske should choose they were quickly rested.
Power was non-committal though: "Nothing else to say, I don't know."
He would boisterously shut down suggestions that this proved a point to Penske or any other teams though.
"I won three races last year. If you're a team, if you're waiting on me to know if I'm good enough, I don't know what you're thinking. If you're actually waiting, 'I'm not sure if this guy is good enough', just go back to last year and you'll f*****g know."
In the seat next to Power sat Jonathan Diuguid who had inherited the team principal position from Cindric shortly after May. The inevitable question would be asked to him too.
"Will's future is about 30 minutes old from winning a race. His future's definitely bright. He did an amazing job today. Looking forward to the last two races of the season."
He further added: "Look, I'm not going to discuss that today. I'm going to focus on the win, the team performance. Like you mentioned before, winning can do a lot of things. It's very positive for our program. We're going to reap all the benefits of that as we head to Milwaukee."
No clarity, no hope, no re-assurances. The same old story that had been Power's 2025.
It was feeling as if a contract was an inevitability for Power, but just four words changed the perspective when he reflected on his future further.
"Maybe it's my decision."
After months of Power declaring his ambitions to return to Penske had the ball now moved into his court? The same months where he spoke so highly of the team's performance and their operational process were those same months where the team had no urgency to sort his future out.
Had frustration boiled over? Had Power suddenly gained itchy feet? Would it now become his decision or Roger Penske's decision?
Behind closed doors, Power had made up his mind.
He was sick of all the questions, he was sick of waiting, he was sick of the uncertainty.
His phone pinged shortly after Portland with Roger Penske on the other end.
It read: ‘Oh, this might help your situation for next year.'
Penske's mind had been made up, he was willing to offer Power another one-year deal for 2026 and asked Power to fly to Detroit to finalise the details of that agreement. It was at that point that Power told Penske he would not return to the team in 2026.
Heading into Milwaukee it was business as usual for Penske and Power. Only those two individuals knew the decision that had been made with speculation from the outside still rife about what would happen for 2026.
Malukas shone in Milwaukee as he lined up on the front row and ran competitively until a pit stop error caused him to go a lap down but still recovered to eighth. Power's day was done early as he crashed in Turn 2 after trying to lap Kyffin Simpson. With nothing announced it felt as if the balance was turning back into Malukas' favour with Nashville the last opportunity to do any talking on-track.
Nashville would be a similar story to Milwaukee. Malukas shone in qualifying and ran well until he collided with Foster when trying to lap the Briton. Power's day became undone as he made an error during a crucial pit-stop cycle under yellow which placed him multiple laps down. Newgarden won the race as he became the first non-Power Penske driver to win in 2025 at the last available chance.
Little did people know but those would be Power's last acts with Team Penske. He walked toward the Penske motorhome, which many believed would be where he found out what decision had been made - not knowing that decision had been made. There was then radio silence. Just hours later, Power was on the drums in downtown Nashville with the chequered flag out for 2025.
On the Tuesday following, Power's decision was made public.
"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,” said Penske. “He has been an outstanding driver and teammate for our organisation. His results speak for themselves and we wish him the very best in the next phase of his career.”
“It’s been the honor of my life to drive for Roger and the Penske organisation,” Power said. “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.”
It was clear, this was Power's choice and not Penske. It was his decision. The waiting had taken its toll and the uncertainty could not continue.
Just 24 hours later, after Colton Herta made his own shock move to become Cadillac's test driver in Formula One, Andretti Global had Power's name on the dotted line for 2026 and beyond, marking the first time he'll be in an Indy car not in Penske colours since 2008.
Even the thought of Power not lining up in the Verizon colours that he has adorned since 2009 is peculiar and Penske's driver of 17 seasons will become one of their fiercest competitors heading into next season.
There is no doubt that Power is still at the top of his game. He beat both McLaughlin and Newgarden in points whilst having the equal-most victories of anybody in the team in 2025, the equal-most podiums, the equal-most top five finishes, the best average finishing position and the best qualifying average.
His age is a limiting factor, but that's seemingly been a limiting factor for several seasons, according to Cindric at the start of 2025: "[Will’s] approaching the twilight of his career, and if you had asked me in 2021, I would’ve said he was approaching the end of his career, and then he goes and wins the championship. I feel like he has the potential to do it again."
Power's long-time rival, Scott Dixon comes off the back of finishing third in points in 2025 despite being 45 years of age. If somebody is performing at the top level whatever their age is, what is the need to change?
He was Palou's only challenger heading into the season finale in Nashville last year and is the only driver in the field to take a championship since Palou moved to Ganassi in 2021. It makes it all the more bizarre why he was the least of Penske's priorities when he's arguably still their top-performing driver.
Power has since revealed that he would have taken an additional one-year contract if it had been offered to him in May - when Cindric had said that negotiations would take place before his dismissal. Instead, the lack of urgency from Penske officials to talk to Power gave him the opportunity to think about what he wants from the rest of his career.
Power's loyalty to Penske cannot be understated which makes the way things ended all the more disappointing. No send-off, no farewell, hardly a thank you - just a team statement posted on social media which marked the end.
“I’m forever grateful for what Roger’s done for me. Not many drivers get to be put in that position. I definitely took the ball and ran with it and gave it everything. I was loyal all the way through — never entertained another team. I had teams call offering me more money, and I just didn’t entertain it.
“The deals I did there, there was hardly any negotiating. I just asked them what they thought was fair, and that was sorta the relationship I had, and that’s what it should be. Both parties have to be happy about the situation, and it was always that at Penske.”
It had been a driver-team relationship that held the most professional of standards. Ever since Power got into the Penske fold by chance when Hélio Castroneves had to attend to his federal tax evasion charges, there had never been speculation about the future - it was just business as usual year-in, year-out.
In some ways you can see why Penske wanted to wait to make a decision. You have to assess whether Malukas is ready to step up to a championship-contending team or not - but leaving Power in the dark was unjust and it was that lack of clarity and openness which eventually drove Power to make his own decision.
Although not formally announced at Penske, Malukas is certainly their golden boy, he is Penske's future. McLaughlin is 32 and Newgarden turns 35 this year and although we can see drivers be competitive in their 40s, like in Power's case, Malukas turns 24 in just two weeks and will have a much longer shelf life than the rest of the Penske stable.
But does Malukas look ready to fight for a championship? No. Although he is undoubtedly amongst the best oval drivers in the series, 2025 saw just five top 10 finishes - less than he had with Dale Coyne Racing in 2023. Malukas still doesn't have a career victory to his name and no top five finishes on a road/street course. Malukas saw a lot of strong results fall out of his grasp in 2025 through errors he made - Detroit, Gateway, Nashville etc - that isn't the 'Penske perfect' that the establishment hold themselves to highly, albeit their 2025 season did not uphold those standards either.
The raw pace is unquestionably there but maybe the execution isn't and that will come with time for Malukas. However, it didn't feel at any point this year that Malukas was ready to make that step up for 2026. It's neither a case of Power being 'the safe option' because he's a driver who still deserves to be at that team based on merit - not necessarily his longevity or commitment over 17 years. The time is coming for Penske to make a change and look more toward the future but that doesn't need to come at the expense of the veteran driver being blindsided by Penske's plans.
It was an unflattering end for there not be the final race send-off for a driver who had given the organisation two championships and an Indianapolis 500 victory - at least publicly. It isn't what Power deserved after his undeniable loyalty and success with the team. It should have been the glorious goodbye that the other sporting greats had from their organisations.
A social media statement for the driver being the final goodbye is not how the Power-Penske marriage should have ended after 17 seasons. It felt soulless, empty and unflattering - maybe a reflection of how Power felt Penske officials treated him across the course of the year.
Instead, he embarks on a new project with Andretti Global, where Penske will now be one of his main competitors when chasing race victories and championships across the course of the next few seasons.
"When you get to my age, you know, you just know when it’s time to make a change, and that was my feeling from the outset,” Power said. “I’m sorta late enough in my career that I wouldn’t say this is taking a risk, but if it all went bad, it wouldn’t matter, because I still had a great time, but I’m still as determined as ever to compete at a high level, win races. It’s still in me.
“I absolutely love this sport, and I don’t even want to think about doing sportscars or anything else. I love IndyCar racing. I just can’t think of another series as satisfying as racing Indy cars."
"I’ve never stopped digging. I love driving and am absolutely a student of it, and I still feel like I’m in my 20s. That’s my enthusiasm toward this job."
Power is still at the top of his game and it is deserved that a top-level driver is still at a top-level team no matter his age. He remains Palou's closest competitor since the Spaniard moved to Ganassi in 2021.
The security of a multi-year deal with Andretti means that Power can breathe easy and really head into 2026 enjoying what he does and focusing on the driving. He may have had a management agency signed, but it was clear that the uncertainty took it's toll on Power and that's what prompted him to make a decision.
Penske's cold feet meant they lost their most loyal driver and the one who had brought them so much success over the course of 17 seasons. It was a case of too little, too late. It's a shame they've lost Power, but they only have themselves to point the finger at.
If it turns out to be David Malukas in the No.12 seat for 2026, there's certainly some big shoes to fill.
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