After Sunday’s season finale at Nashville Superspeedway, Team Penske’s room was gloomy. Amidst the shared hugs, tears rolled down engineer David Faustino’s and the crewmembers’ faces as they realized it was the end of an era. In 2009, Will Power shook hands with Roger Penske and had 42 of his 45 total wins with the team. But all speculations on whether Power’s contract will be renewed as he turns 45 soon came to an end on Tuesday as Team Penske tweeted, “Team Penske, Roger Penske statement on Will Power for 2026 season.”

Team’s announcement read, “Team Penske announced today that after 17 years driving for the legendary organization, Will Power will depart the team prior to the 2026 season.” Although the 23-year-old David Malukas was thought to replace Power, the team also mentioned that they will announce a replacement before the next season begins. The attached photos also had parting messages from both Roger Penske and Will Power.

Roger Penske shared, “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. 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.”

Power has won championships in 2014 and 2022. His 71 pole positions are the most in IndyCar history, along with his 4th all-time wins record. The 2018 Indianapolis 500 champion has won a championship in each year of his tenure with Team Penske, except 2023, when his wife, Liz, was suffering from a staph infection. Moreover, despite being 44, he led the team’s trio with ninth rank in the championship standings and also brought Team Penske’s first win this season in Portland. No wonder he was also emotional when saying goodbye to the group he’s had so much success with.

In his statement, Power said, “It’s been the honor of my life to drive for Roger and the Penske organization. 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.”

Power can now have discussions with other NTT IndyCar Series teams. He reportedly had interests from several high-profile teams before the season even ended. Still, his departure is a massive shakeup for Team Penske. With the 2026 season looming, all eyes are on the team’s next move and where Power lands. However, Power does bring some baggage with him.

Will Power’s distasteful comments

The IndyCar champ has got a history of letting his temper flare, and his mouth has landed him in hot water before. Take his outburst at Álex Palou: “You f***ed me. You f***ed me on the mid-dry run then you came out of the pits and f***ed me again. Why? I always move people out of the f***ing way.” That raw, expletive-laced rant showed Power’s no-nonsense style, calling out what he saw as dirty racing.

Then there’s his post-race interview after a win, where he didn’t hold back, “It’s probably good on both fronts. Yeah, I mean, if you have to, I won three races last year, so if you’re waiting for me to know if I’m good enough. I don’t know what you’re thinking like. If you’re actually waiting like yeah, ‘this guy I am not sure that guy is good enough,’ just go back to last year and you’ll f***ing know.”

Power’s sharp words were a jab at doubters, but the profanity and defensiveness didn’t sit well with everyone. The last straw might’ve been the 2025 Indianapolis 500 qualifying controversy. Power’s and Josef Newgarden’s cars were found with illegal rear attenuator modifications, breaking IndyCar technical rules. Both were sent to the back of the grid, with Power starting dead last. Each team copped a $100,000 fine, lost qualification points, pit selections, and had their strategists suspended.

That scandal, paired with Power’s outspoken history, likely didn’t help his case with Penske, who values professionalism. It will be interesting to see which team is ready to bring in Power and how Roger Penke finds a perfect fit for the empty spot.