Ranking 5 IndyCar teams Will Power can join in 2026 after Team Penske exit

Team Penske confirmed the worst-kept secret of the 2025 IndyCar season on Tuesday, September 2, announcing Will Power's exit from the team. They ended a 17-year partnership, the last few months of which were filled with uncertainty about 2026 and 'stressed' Power out.

In the press release, Team Penske owner Roger Penske shared a heartfelt message for Power and revealed that it was the latter's decision to leave the team. Though that wasn't the picture Power had been painting over the last month, the parting of ways seemed amicable.

With Will Power looking for a "change" in 2026, he has five teams with open seats or seemingly open seats based on rumors, for next season. Those teams are:

Dale Coyne Racing
Juncos Hollinger Racing
AJ Foyt Racing (David Malukas rumored to replace Power at Penske)
Andretti Global (Colton Herta rumored to leave for F2)
Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing (Could make way for Power's arrival)

We have ranked these five teams in the following list based on the likelihood of a potential partnership between Will Power and the respective team, taking into account the rumors and reports over the last couple of months, and in order from least likely to most likely.

5. AJ Foyt Racing

AJ Foyt Racing doesn't have an empty seat for 2026 yet, but David Malukas is rumored to be Team Penske's choice to replace Will Power, though the team hasn't confirmed this. Even if this move were to go through, Power seems unlikely to have a seat swap with Malukas.

David Malukas with Will Power at the NTT INDYCAR Series Sukup Race Weekend - Source: Getty

If the two-time IndyCar champion indeed wanted a "change", he wouldn't join a team that has a technical alliance with his old team. AJ Foyt Racing and Team Penske have had a technical alliance in IndyCar since mid-2023.

4. Dale Coyne Racing

Hours before Team Penske announced Will Power's exit, IndyCar reporter Tony Donohue revealed that Dale Coyne Racing driver Rinus Veekay had turned down a contract offer from his team for 2026. Though DCR has yet to confirm that, the No. 18 entry seems to be up for grabs.

However, it is unlikely that Power will join a team that is struggling to earn Top 10 finishes. Going from a win-contending Team Penske to a backmarker would be a drastic jump for the 44-year-old, who probably has only a few more years of IndyCar racing left in him.

3. Juncos Hollinger Racing

Juncos Hollinger Racing has both seats open for 2026. Both Conor Daly and Sting Ray Robb joined the team before the 2025 season on a one-year deal. For Daly, it is a matter of getting sponsors to fund a drive in 2026, while Robb's concern has been performance.

Will Power would be a better fit at JHR rather than DCR because the former's cars have performed better on ovals this year, a track type that the Australian driver loves to win at. Moreover, the Argentinian-American team has better overall performance across track types as well, which DCR has failed to show.

2. Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing was rumored to be the top spot for Will Power if Team Penske parted ways with him. Graham Rahal, whose father Bobby Rahal co-owns the team, had publicly expressed interest in Power, whom he claimed would be a "great asset" for RLL.

However, a couple of weeks after that comment, the 37-year-old changed his stance. Ahead of IndyCar's penultimate race, the Milwaukee Mile 250. Rahal said that RLL had its drivers "locked down" and that Power was "most likely" to join Andretti Global.

1. Andretti Global - Will Power's best prospect

There has been a ton of speculation about Colton Herta's future in IndyCar over the past couple of weeks. If rumors are to be believed, the Andretti Global driver wants to join Formula 2 in 2026 to earn the required points for an FIA Super Licence, which would make him eligible for an F1 seat in 2027.

Replacing Herta at Andretti would be Will Power's best prospect. The team's cars have performed on par with Team Penske and Chip Ganassi Racing, and better on many occasions on road/street circuits.

In case Herta's rumored move to F2 doesn't pan out, Power could deepen ties with Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, which could cut short Devlin DeFrancesco's contract to make space for the 2018 Indy 500 winner.

About the author

Yash is a Motorsports journalist at Sportskeeda with a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from one of India's top B-schools. With over 1.5 years of experience covering Formula 1 and a short stint covering the WNBA, he brings passionate authenticity to his writing.

Yash's first brush with the motorsport world was accidental. While flipping TV channels, he came across an episode of F1TV's 'Inside Tracks'. That was enough to engross him and make him dive head-first into devotedly following the sport.

Surprisingly, he favors no particular driver or team. This helps him bring complete objectivity to his reporting, which begins with meticulous research from trusted sources across the internet.

When motorsport isn't on Yash's mind, he's either at the gym, out for a walk, or indulging in creative writing.

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Edited by Yash Kotak