"What the hell are they thinking": Ex-IndyCar champ baffled by Team Penske's indecisiveness about Will Power's contract

Former IndyCar champion Paul Tracy has called out Team Penske for being indecisive about Will Power's contract renewal. The Roger Penske-led team has kept Power, who is in the final year of his contract, in the dark about his future with the team.

The 2018 Indy 500 winner has been the team's best performer this season. He stayed true to that fact by winning the Grand Prix of Portland on Sunday (August 10). It was his and Team Penske's first win in an otherwise bad-luck-laden 2025 season.

When he was asked whether the victory would remind Penske and other IndyCar teams of his worth, Will Power didn't hold back. He laid out the hard facts about his consistency, saying:

"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. If you're actually waiting like, 'This guy, I am not sure that guy is good enough.' Just go back to last year and you'll f***ing know."

2003 IndyCar champion Paul Tracy, who drove for Team Penske from 1991 to 1994 and again from 1996 to 1997, couldn't believe the indefinite delay in Power's contract negotiations. He reshared a clip of the 2018 Indy 500 winner's aforementioned answer on his Instagram story and reminded everybody of his achievements.

"@12willpower drops truth on his contract status after Sunday win. 45 wins, 108 podiums, 71 poles. What the hell are they thinking @team_penske," Tracy wrote.

A snapshot of Paul Tracy's Instagram story (@paultracyofficial)

Will Power holds the record for most pole positions by an IndyCar driver, with 71 poles to his name. Even during a disappointing season for Team Penske, which has affected all three drivers, Power remains the best of the trio, at 44 years of age. Another former IndyCar champion, Simon Pagenaud, asked Team Penske to renew Power's contract after the latter's Portland race win.

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Will Power's wife "disappointed" with Team Penske for not repaying his 'loyalty'

Will Power with his wife Liz after winning the IndyCar Grand Prix of Portland - Source: Getty

Will Power's wife, Elizabeth Cannon, shared her feelings about Team Penske not repaying his 'loyalty'. She shared that her two-time IndyCar champion husband never felt such 'melancholy' during his career, not knowing whether he would be racing in IndyCar in 2026 or not.

The 44-year-old has been driving for Penske since 2009 and has recorded most of his success with the team. However, their leaving Power uncertain with no answers about a contract extension hasn't gone down well with his wife.

"This has been the longest, and really the first time. We've never gone through this before like this. After May, seeing Will going through this rollercoaster of the emotions, it's been more melancholy. Not mad; just disappointed because, as he's said, 'I've been loyal,' and we haven't gotten a lot of answers, and it's been hard to watch him go through that," Elizabeth told Indy Star.

Will Power's wife also revealed that other teams have shown interest in signing him. The deadline for Team Penske to extend the 44-year-old's contract would be August 31, when the 2025 season finale will take place in Nashville. He would be "free to go" if there is no progress on that front by then.