Just one day after his 17-year tenure at Team Penske officially came to an end, two-time IndyCar champion Will Power has already announced plans to race for Andretti Global in 2026.
He will pilot the No. 26 Honda, replacing American driver Colton Herta, who ended the 2025 season seventh in the championship standings. Herta will be leaving IndyCar to chase the Formula 1 dream, announcing on Wednesday that he will become an official test driver for the Cadillac F1 Team.
While Herta was winless in 2025, he and the No. 26 team won two races last year and ended 2024 as the championship runner-up.
“First, I want to thank Colton Herta for all the great memories and success he brought to Andretti Global during his time with the team,” said Jill Gregory, COO of TWG Motorsports and president at Andretti Global. “We’re incredibly proud of him and wish him the best in his new F1 journey.
“We couldn’t think of a better driver than Will Power to fill Colton’s shoes here at Andretti and take the wheel of the No. 26 Honda. Will is a fierce competitor whose record speaks for itself. Additionally, he’s a great personality and we feel he’ll be a strong fit for the team culturally as well.”
The 44-year-old Power is one of the most successful IndyCar drivers in the history of the sport, as his 45 career wins put him fourth on the all-time wins list and his 71 poles are unmatched.
Along with IndyCar titles in 2014 and 2022, he also won the 2018 Indianapolis 500. He now joins Andretti, which hasn’t won an IndyCar title since 2012 but remains fully capable of winning races any given week.
Power ended the 2025 season ninth in the final points standings, and was one of just six drivers not named ‘Alex Palou’ to reach Victory Lane.
“I just want to say how excited I am to be joining Andretti Global,” said Power in a release from Andretti. “I can’t thank Dan [Towriss], Jill [Gregory] and the team enough for this opportunity. Colton is someone that I’ve been massively impressed with for a while. He has a lot of natural ability, and I think he’s going to do a great job over in Europe. I’m excited to watch him and will work to step in and do everyone on the 26 team proud.
“I’m really looking forward to meeting all the Andretti team and getting to work in 2026. They have some very smart people, and I know it will be enjoyable to get to winning. I’m also looking forward to driving for Honda. They’ve been a tough competitor, and I look forward to working with the entire HRC team. Also, I have tremendous respect for Kyle [Kirkwood] and Marcus [Ericsson]. I’ve had some great battles racing against them, and I think we’re going to make a great combination as teammates. This is a whole new chapter for me. I have to say that sometimes a change of scenery and a fresh start is very energizing. I can’t wait.”
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