INDIANAPOLIS — When the IndyCar season begins March 1 at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, it’ll mark Will Power’s first IndyCar race away from Team Penske since 2008. After a 17-year stint with Team Penske that included winning two series championships and an Indy 500 victory, Power will drive the No. 26 Honda for Andretti Global in 2026.
Power is taking over Colton Herta’s seat with Andretti Global, as Herta is racing in Formula 2 this year. At Wednesday’s IndyCar content day, Power revealed that Team Penske owner Roger Penske offered him a one-year contract to remain with the team, but he opted to sign a multi-year deal with Andretti Global.
“I’ll always be grateful for what (Penske) did for my career and what he’s done for the sport,” Power said. “I was lucky to drive for that long, and I could have continued, but I wanted sort of a longer-term contract and, also for myself, I wanted to know what can I do on another team.”
Power – who turns 45 the day the season begins – is IndyCar’s second-oldest full-time driver. He’s entering his 19th season and looking to stay near the apex of the sport.
“It would be a pity to stop when you’re really still on top of your game,” said Power, who placed ninth IndyCar last season. “A lot of work, 20 years of work, 20 years of IndyCar racing and still able to win races and poles. It’s just very difficult to do in this series. That’s sort of why I keep going.”
Joining Power at Andretti Global is Ron Ruzewski. He is joining as team principal after 20 years in various technical roles with Team Penske. Ruzewski was fired from Team Penske in May when Penske let go of the team’s leadership trio following technical infringements during Indy 500 qualifying.
Power and Ruzewski’s Team Penske contracts forbade them from starting at Andretti Global until Jan. 1, so the pairing is playing catch-up to prepare for the start of the season.
Power spent much of the offseason communicating with Herta to gain intel on how to get the most out of the car and learn what improvements the car may need. Herta finished seventh last year and was second in 2024. Power hopes he’ll be able to do enough leading into the season to ease his transition to Andretti Global.
“Until you’re getting into those pressure situations where things can go wrong or in a competitive situation where you kind of see where you really stack up, it’s really hard to tell,” Power said. “So you’re just putting everything in place to execute the best you can and then start working from there.”
Power joins Kyle Kirkwood and Marcus Ericsson on Andretti Global. Last year, Power and Kirkwood had a viral moment when Power stuck the nose of his car directly on the rear of Kirkwood’s during an open practice session in Detroit. The strange interaction, which the internet deemed a “plower move,” hasn’t affected the new teammates.
“Honestly, we’re some of the closest friends,” Kirkwood said. “You guys just saw that one moment that went viral that we just mess with each other about. It was pretty funny. We’re excited to be together. It should be really good.
“He’s got a lot of information, a lot of knowledge of what things need to be — what needs to be right at some of the races that we go to that were maybe not so good, and we have a lot to provide with our street courses and some of the other tracks that maybe they weren’t so good at. There’s two worlds that are kind of clashing together that hopefully will turn into one big conglomerate.”
Power and Ericsson have communicated frequently since the move was announced. Ericsson said he has learned a lot from his new teammate.
“I don’t know how many hours we’ve been on the phone already,” Ericsson said. “He’s a funny guy. He’s a lot more technical than I expected. I guess that’s why he’s been doing it for so long and is still so good at it. We’ve been talking for hours on the phone. He calls me up randomly and just starts talking.”
Kirkwood and Ericsson have gained expertise from Power while also giving advice to Power, who will drive a Honda – not a Chevrolet – for the first time since 2008.
Power racing with Andretti Global in 2026 will be a notable adjustment to the field. Now that he’s officially joined the team, it’s time to find out if Power can have similar success away from Team Penske.
Zion Brown is IndyStar’s motorsports reporter. Follow him at@z10nbr0wn. Get IndyStar’s motor sports coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Motor Sports newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IndyCar news: Will Power starts at Andretti Global with Ron Ruzewski
