Alex Palou gets real about Will Power's "sad" Team Penske exit and Andretti Global switch

Reigning and four-time IndyCar champion Alex Palou has spoken about Will Power's unexpected move from Team Penske to Andretti Global for 2026. The Australian driver left Penske after 17 years in the aftermath of a 'stressful' season filled with contract uncertainty.

The 44-year-old felt that the Roger Penske-led team didn't repay his loyalty, keeping him in the dark about his IndyCar future for months on end. Eventually, the team offered him a one-year extension, but for Will Power, it came a little too late and was miles short of his ask for a three-year extension.

It was a dismal end to a glorious 17-year partnership, which involved them winning 42 races, two IndyCar championships, the 2018 Indy 500, and Power piling a record 65 pole positions to take his record-extending pole tally to 71. The Aussie vacated the No. 12 Chevy and joined Andretti Global on a multi-year deal from 2026 onwards.

Alex Palou shared his feelings about this recent team shuffle in an interview with SpeedFreaks on YouTube. He said [1:10:07 onwards]:

"Seeing Will Power, I think it's (No. 26 Andretti Global Honda) the best seat that was available. It's a really good seat. It's a seat that I am sure he's gonna find a very good family, and I'm excited. I'm very excited for him.

It was very sad when they (Team Penske) announced that he was not gonna continue the 12-car. I think IndyCar needs Will Power, and we all need Will Power in the series. So I am very excited about that."

Alex Palou fought Will Power for the IndyCar championship in 2022 and 2024. In 2022, the Team Penske driver triumphed to win his second title, whereas in 2024, the Chip Ganassi Racing driver won his third title after Power had a seatbelt issue in the season finale.

In 2026, Power will replace Cadillac F1-bound Colton Herta in the No. 26 Andretti Global Honda.

Alex Palou is "sad" about Colton Herta leaving IndyCar to join Cadillac F1

Christian Lundgaard, Alex Palou, and Colton Herta share a podium at the IndyCar Java House Grand Prix of Monterey - Source: Getty

Alex Palou also commented on Colton Herta leaving IndyCar to join Cadillac F1 as a test driver in 2026. The 25-year-old could not acquire the required 40 points to get an FIA Super Licence while racing in IndyCar. Because the FIA awards more points to drivers in Formula 2 than IndyCar, Herta left the premier American open-wheel racing series.

In 2026, IndyCar's youngest race winner will compete in F2, besides fulfilling his Cadillac test driver duties. Palou gave his take on this significant development, saying:

"I am sad that Colton is leaving. I'm very sad about that, but I think it might be good. It might be good for us. Maybe he goes over to Europe, he starts getting amazing results, and just puts IndyCar's name up there."

In August, even Alex Palou was linked to an F1 move, with a report claiming that Red Bull was interested in pairing the four-time IndyCar champion with four-time F1 champion Max Verstappen. However, the Spaniard and his boss, Chip Ganassi, refuted that claim, emphasizing his commitment to racing in IndyCar.