“Frustrating on certain days”: When IndyCar’s billionaire owner Roger Penske opened up on his relationship with Helio Castroneves

The 88-year-old Roger Penske is a well-known figure in the world of American motorsports. He started his own IndyCar team way back in the 1960s, and while the outfit has become one of the top names in the sport, back in 2016, he took the time to talk about his relationship with IndyCar legend Helio Castroneves.

The former four-time Indy 500 winner drove for Team Penske for over 20 years. He was even inducted into the Team Penske Hall of Fame in 2020.

However, back in September 2016, Roger Penske talked about how, at times, things got a bit frustrating during race weekends with Helio Castroneves. In line with this, the former said:

"I still really do enjoy calling race strategy and working closely with the team. It can be very rewarding but also frustrating on certain days. A yellow flag at a bad time can prove pretty costly and it has happened to us with Helio and other drivers more than a few times. But it is still a lot of fun and one of my favorite things week in and week out," Penske said via Inc.

Castroneves last competed in the IndyCar series at the 2024 XPEL Grand Prix (Road America) for Meyer Shank Racing, driving the No. 6 car.

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Roger Penske's team gives update on Will Power's IndyCar future

102nd Running of the Indianapolis 500 - Source: Getty

While Roger Penske gave a fascinating take on Helio Castroneves back in 2016, in the immediate future, his outfit, Team Penske, has got a tough decision to make. The 43-year-old driver, Will Power's current contract will come to a close at the end of the 2025 season.

In relation to this, team President Tim Cindric recently had the following to say:

"There’s no reason we would want anybody else but [Will Power] in the car. Power's] approaching the twilight of his career, and if you had asked me in 2021, I would’ve said he was approaching the end of his career, and then he goes and wins the championship [in 2022]. I feel like he has the potential to do it again," Cindric said via IndyStar.

He further added:

"For us, we’ll get through May, and then we’ll start to focus on what next year will be like. The fact is, Will’s close to the twilight of his career, and there becomes a bigger emphasis on ‘How long-term do you go?’ or ‘How do you approach it?’ But I think we’ll go business as usual until that time."

Will Power is an out-and-out legend of the 'fastest racing on earth.' He has so far competed in a whopping 272 Grands Prix and has managed to amass 42 wins, 99 podiums, and 64 pole positions. Moreover, he has also secured two world championships. After May, it will be fascinating to see what the Roger Penske-led team will do in relation to Power's future in IndyCar from 2026 onward.