Will Power

Will Power Bio

William Steven Power (born 1 March 1981) is an Australian racing driver who is set to compete in the IndyCar Series, driving the No. 26 Dallara-Honda for Andretti Global. He is widely regarded as one of the most successful drivers in Indy car racing history, currently fourth all-time in career wins with 45, first all-time in pole positions with 71, and fourth all-time in podium finishes with 108. Power has won the Indianapolis 500 once, in 2018, and has captured the IndyCar Series Championship twice, in 2014 and 2022. After 17 seasons with Team Penske, he is preparing for a new chapter with Andretti Global.

Early Life and Background

Power was born in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia. He is the son of Bob Power, an open-wheel racer who introduced him to motorsports at an early age. Power began his racing career on local tracks in Queensland, driving a Datsun 1200 at Morgan Park Raceway in Warwick and at Carnel Raceway in Stanthorpe. Those early experiences around his father and the small Queensland racing community laid the foundation for his future in open-wheel competition.

By the late 1990s, Power had progressed into Formula Ford racing in Australia. In 1999, he began driving an ageing family-owned Swift SC92F in the Queensland Formula Ford Championship, winning races despite a sporadic campaign. He stepped up to a full Australian Formula Ford campaign the following year and quickly earned a reputation as one of the country’s most promising young talents. His family-run operation kept his career grounded as he climbed through the grassroots of Australian motorsport.

Path to NASCAR

Power did not pursue a path through NASCAR. Instead, his career followed the open-wheel ladder common for Australian drivers aiming for international competition. After success in Australian Formula Ford and Formula Holden, where he won the 2002 Australian Drivers’ Championship by more than 50 points, Power moved to Europe. He competed in the British Formula 3 Championship in 2003 and 2004, ran the World Series by Renault in 2005 with Carlin Motorsport, and also represented Australia in the A1 Grand Prix series during the 2005-06 season. He tested a Minardi Formula One car in 2004 but never landed a full-time Grand Prix seat.

His European campaign led him back to North America through the Champ Car World Series in late 2005, when he joined Team Australia for the Surfers Paradise event. He won the 2006 Champ Car Rookie of the Year award and secured his first Champ Car victory in 2007 at the inaugural Vegas Grand Prix. The 2008 merger of Champ Car and the IndyCar Series redirected his career entirely, opening the door to the IndyCar ladder that would define his legacy.

Will Power Career

Early Career (2000-2005)

Power’s professional career began with the 2002 Australian Drivers’ Championship in Formula Holden, where he won seven races and three pole positions en route to the title. He also raced in the Australian Formula 3 Championship during the 2002 season with the Cooltemp Racing team, narrowly missing the championship despite joining the series late. These early results in Australia established him as a driver ready for international competition.

In 2003, Power moved to the British Formula 3 Championship, initially racing for Diamond Racing before switching to Fortec Motorsport due to limited funding. He mounted a full campaign in 2004 with Alan Docking Racing, finishing ninth overall with five podium finishes. During 2005, he raced in the World Series by Renault for Carlin Motorsport, scoring two victories and four podium finishes while also serving as a featured driver for Team Australia in the A1 Grand Prix series. These seasons in Europe sharpened his road course and qualifying skills, which remain defining traits of his driving style.

Champ Car World Series Breakthrough (2006-2008)

Power joined Team Australia in Champ Car for the 2006 season and immediately impressed, recording nine top-ten finishes and earning the 2006 Champ Car Rookie of the Year award. He finished sixth in the championship standings and scored his first career pole position at Surfers Paradise. The following year, he won his first Champ Car race at the inaugural Vegas Grand Prix, becoming the first Australian driver to win a race in the series.

Power added a second victory in 2007 at the Steelback Grand Prix of Toronto, charging from fourth to first in heavy rain. He ended that season fourth in the standings with multiple pole positions at Houston, Edmonton, Surfers Paradise, and Mexico City. In 2008, following the merger of Champ Car and the IndyCar Series, he drove for KV Racing Technology and won the final Champ Car race at Long Beach, which also counted as his first IndyCar Series win.

IndyCar Series Breakthrough (2009-2013)

Power joined Team Penske in 2009 as a replacement for Hélio Castroneves, who was facing federal tax evasion charges at the time. Driving the No. 12 Penske Honda-Dallara, he won his first IndyCar race at the Rexall Edmonton Indy and ended the season as a regular contender before a violent practice crash at Sonoma left him with two fractured vertebrae. He returned strong in 2010, winning the first two races of the season at Brazil and St. Petersburg and scoring a record eight pole positions along with five wins, all on road and street courses.

He added six victories in 2011 at Barber Motorsports Park, São Paulo, Texas, Edmonton, Infineon Raceway, and the inaugural Baltimore Grand Prix. In 2012, he won three consecutive races at Barber, Long Beach, and São Paulo to take the championship lead, but lost the title to Ryan Hunter-Reay at the season finale in Fontana. Power earned the Mario Andretti Road Course Championship three times in 2010, 2011, and 2012, cementing his reputation as one of the series’ top road course racers.

Team Penske Era (2014-2025)

Power captured his first IndyCar Series Championship in 2014, winning the season finale at Fontana to clinch the title by 62 points over teammate Hélio Castroneves. He added a second championship in 2022, clinching the title at Laguna Seca after a season of consistent top-five finishes and five pole positions. Between those titles, he won the 2018 Indianapolis 500 on May 27, 2018, and scored Team Penske’s two-hundredth IndyCar victory at the IndyCar Grand Prix that same year.

Throughout his long tenure with Team Penske, Power consistently delivered on road and street courses, becoming the all-time IndyCar pole position leader by breaking Mario Andretti’s record in 2022. After 17 years with the organization, Penske announced in 2025 that Power would be leaving the team. The day after his departure was confirmed, Andretti Global announced it had signed Power for the 2026 season to replace the departing Colton Herta in the No. 26 Dallara-Honda.

Driving Style and Strengths

Power is widely regarded as one of the best qualifiers in IndyCar history, a skill reflected in his record 71 pole positions. His greatest strengths have come on road courses and street circuits, where his precision, mechanical sympathy, and qualifying pace have produced the bulk of his victories. Over the years, he has built a strong working relationship with strategist Tim Cindric at Team Penske, and his aggressive race craft, particularly in mixed weather, has produced memorable comebacks such as his 2007 Toronto win in near-zero visibility.

Notable Races and Milestones

Power’s career is highlighted by signature performances at Surfers Paradise, Edmonton, St. Petersburg, and the Indianapolis 500. His 2018 Indianapolis 500 victory stands as one of the defining moments of his career. Other milestone wins include his first Champ Car victory at the inaugural Vegas Grand Prix in 2007, his breakthrough IndyCar win at Edmonton in 2009, and the 2022 season finale at Laguna Seca where he sealed his second series championship.

Will Power Career Wins

Power has accumulated 45 IndyCar Series victories, placing him fourth on the all-time wins list. He is also the all-time leader in IndyCar pole positions with 71 and ranks fourth all-time in podium finishes with 108. His wins span road courses, street circuits, and ovals, including a 2018 Indianapolis 500 triumph and three separate Mario Andretti Road Course Championships.

IndyCar Series Highlights

Power’s IndyCar Series career includes two championships, in 2014 and 2022, and victories at iconic venues such as St. Petersburg, Long Beach, Indianapolis, Toronto, Edmonton, Watkins Glen, Mid-Ohio, and Laguna Seca. His most recent championship came at Laguna Seca in 2022, where he clinched the Astor Cup. He added three wins in 2024 at Road America, Iowa Speedway, and Portland, and closed his Team Penske tenure with a victory at Portland in 2025.

Other Wins and Performances

Beyond IndyCar, Power won the 2002 Australian Drivers’ Championship in Formula Holden and earned two victories in the 2005 World Series by Renault with Carlin Motorsport. He also recorded a second-place finish for Team Australia at the A1 Grand Prix season opener at Brands Hatch in 2005. In 2007, his first Champ Car victory at the Vegas Grand Prix marked the first win by an Australian in the series.

Will Power Family

Family Background and Racing Lineage

Power is the son of Bob Power, an open-wheel racer who helped shape his early career. Growing up around his father’s racing activity in Queensland gave Power direct exposure to the sport from a young age and led to his earliest drives at Morgan Park Raceway and Carnel Raceway. Power also has a brother, Damien Power, who works as a stand-up comedian.

Personal Life

Power married Liz Cannon in 2010. The two met during Power’s early CART career when Cannon joined Walker Racing as a receptionist and later worked in the team’s public relations department. Their son was born in December 2016. Power plays the drums in his spare time and has performed at several charity events organized by IndyCar. He also voiced the Australian anchor in the 2013 animated film Turbo.

2025 Season Performance

Power’s 2025 IndyCar Series campaign opened with a 26th-place DNF at St. Petersburg, but he recovered with a podium finish at the IndyCar Grand Prix on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course. His season then took a dramatic turn during Fast-12 qualifying for the Indianapolis 500, when his car and teammate Josef Newgarden’s car were found to have illegal modified attenuators. Both drivers were ordered to start at the back of the field, with Power ultimately starting last, and both were fined $100,000. Several senior Team Penske members were suspended and later fired as a result of the scandal.

Despite the controversy, Power was the only Penske driver to finish the Indianapolis 500, ending the day nineteenth before being promoted to sixteenth following post-race penalties handed to other competitors. He added a podium at Iowa and a win at Portland later in the season to extend his streak of consecutive seasons with a victory. His season concluded with a 21st-place finish at Nashville, leaving him ninth in the final championship standings. Two days later, Team Penske confirmed that Power would leave the organization after 17 seasons.

Looking ahead, Power is preparing for the 2026 IndyCar Series season with Andretti Global, where he will drive the No. 26 Dallara-Honda in place of the departing Colton Herta. The move marks a fresh start for one of the series’ most accomplished veterans and pairs him with a team eager to return to championship contention. With his record pole position total and a deep well of road course experience, Power is expected to be an immediate factor in the 2026 title fight.