David Malukas shuts down rumors about him replacing Will Power at Team Penske: “I'm with the AJ Foyt team”

A.J. Foyt Racing driver David Malukas recently discussed his future with the team and quickly shut down rumors about joining Team Penske next season. The 23-year-old, who drives the #4 A.J. Foyt Racing car powered by Chevrolet, recently bagged a technical alliance with Team Penske.

This fueled the rumors about him signing with the Mooresville-based team for the 2026 season, as Team Penske's current driver, Will Power, is in the last year of his contract. So far, there have been no signs of contract extension talks between Team Penske and Power.

While talking to Eric Smith from IndyCar.com, David Malukas highlighted the rumors and was quick to dispel them.

"No matter the rumors or no rumors, I think everybody is trying to strive to always live in the present instead of stressing about the past and the future. I've had a mental coach training me to always stay and live in the present, and as of right now, I'm with the AJ Foyt team, and we're focused on our successes and what we've accomplished so far this season,” he said.

The rumors spread further after Malukas finished second at the Indianapolis 500 after starting from seventh place. He has scored three top 10s this season so far.

David Malukas has had an impressive season so far. He started the season's first race at St.Petersburg in 17th place and finished 13th. During the recently held Toronto Grand Prix, he qualified in 15th place and finished ninth.

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David Malukas talked about "hallucinating" during the extremely hot Road to America race

David Malukas discussed his race at Road America on June 22 and how he started hallucinating during the race. The temperatures at the start of the race were 94 degrees Fahrenheit, but as the race progressed, they increased to 96 degrees Fahrenheit.

The 23-year-old also highlighted how he was severely dehydrated by the time he crossed the finish line. Malukas told Frontstretch after the race (1:45 onwards):

"Oh, man. That was actually horrendous. We decided not to do the cool suit; we were having some issues with it. Man, it was so hot! I think it was about 35 laps in when I was, like, squinting my eyes, you know, focusing on what's in front of me. I don't even know what the car is. There's like seven front... rear wings. I'm like hallucinating over here."

"I thought I was seeing bears and things. I was getting really, really dehydrated. As soon as we came in, I was launching everything out (of the cockpit to get out of the car). Everybody was like, 'Hey, good recovery.' I'm like, 'Get me out, get me out. I need water.' So yeah, tough race," he added.

David Malukas currently sits in 10th place in the drivers' championship with 259 points.