Can Will Power one-up Fernando Alonso's F1 longevity? Here's the 2x IndyCar champ's complete contract situation with Team Penske

IndyCar driver Will Power’s contract with Team Penske culminates at the end of the 2025 IndyCar season. The Australian is due for a contract renewal this season, which will reportedly be signed after the Indy 500 in May.

Amid negotiations and uncertainty around a future contract, Power signed with Fernando Alonso's Motorsport management agency named A14 Management.

There have been rumors of Team Penske eyeing David Malukas for the 2026 IndyCar season. Amid this, the question arises whether Power will be on the IndyCar grid for the 2026 season and whether the Australian will be able to surpass Fernando Alonso's F1 longevity.

F1 Driver Fernando Alonso F1 75 Live - Show - Source: Getty

Alonso signed a contract extension with Aston Martin Racing in 2024, which extends his tenure at the team until the end of the 2026 season. Alonso, who is currently 43, will be 45 at the end of the 2026 season.

The Spaniard's F1 future after 2026 depends on his performance and the team's ability to provide him with a competitive car. While Alonso has been at the top of his game, as seen during the 2023 season where he scored five-plus podiums, the 2024 season was a hit-and-miss as Aston Martin slid on the performance index.

Power is the same age as Alonso and will be 44 before the first Grand Prix at St. Pete on March 2. The Australian hasn't cut himself any slack and has been performing at the top level, having as many wins as anyone else during the 2024 season.

Team Penske, on the other hand, also has a car capable of winning the championship, and the push to pass controversy deeply affected its driver's chance of fighting for the title last year, where the top four drivers in the championship finished within 50 points of the champion Alex Palou.

AUTO: Will Power: MAY 18 NTT IndyCar Series Indianapolis 500 Qualifying - Source: Getty

So it can be argued that Power is performing at the same level as Fernando Alonso is in F1. The only factor that can put Power without a seat for the 2026 season is the upcoming talent, as the teams have to focus on the future and not let the young talent slip out of their hands.

Mercedes' F1 team faced a similar issue, where the then-prodigy Max Verstappen slipped out of its hand as it already had two well-established drivers in the form of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg on the team.

David Malukas, who signed with AJ Foyt Racing (AFR) for the 2025 IndyCar season, is rumored as a potential target for Team Penske. AFR has a technical alliance with Team Penske which was set up by former technical director Michael Cannon.

David Malukas: NTT IndyCar Series GMR Grand Prix - Source: Getty

The dynamic is similar to that of the Red Bull F1 team and VCARB, where the sister team grooms the drivers to step up to the big team. Hence a lot depends on how Will Power performs at the beginning of the season. If he continues more of what he did in 2024, then it's highly likely that Team Penske will offer him a contract.

Speaking about the same, Team Penske’s President Tim Cindric said,

“Will knows exactly where he sits and where he is, and we want nothing more than to go forward, but obviously we have to look at the bigger picture and see how it all plays out. He showed last year that he’s not slowing down. He’s been with us a long time, and we’ve had a great relationship through the years, so I really don’t see it being any different than any other year, other than the obvious,” Cindric told IndyStar.

Will Power won the 2022 IndyCar championship and three races in the 2024 IndyCar season - one more than the champion Palou. The Australian came out and spoke about his contract situation with Team Penske.

'This isn’t my choice' - Will Power on the contract situation with Team Penske amid the pending renewal

As Will Power came out and signed with A14 management, he spoke about the contract renewal with Team Penske. The 43-year-old detailed his recent results in the IndyCar championship and suggested that if he continues to perform on the same level, he would deserve a seat in the championship.

AUTO: Will Power; AUG 17 NTT IndyCar Series Bommarito Automotive Group 500 - Source: Getty

However, the Australian is aware of the fact that it's not all under his control and that it's the choice that the team will have to make. Speaking about the same, he said,

“I’ve been very lucky to drive for a team like Penske. There isn’t a better team in the series right now. Roger is a class act. But this isn’t my choice, obviously, because I don’t own the team. It always becomes complicated, and there’s other things that play into that, but at the end of the day, if you keep winning races, and you’re very strong, that’s the best defense you have against any of that stuff,” Power was quoted as saying by IndyStar.

“Honestly, the way I performed last year, if I do the same thing this year…Winning three races in a year in IndyCar now is very difficult – even the champion only won two (in 2024). So if you’re doing that, you probably should be driving in that series. You deserve a seat,” he added.

Will Power’s contract negotiations will be handled by former IndyCar driver Oriol Servia, who handles the US-based clients who signed with the A14 management.