Birthday boy Will Power shares honest reaction after Firestone GP qualifying at St. Petersburg

William Steven Power, fondly regarded as Will Power, expressed his thoughts after the first qualifying session of the 2025 IndyCar season, which coincided with his birthday. However, it was a disappointing session for the Aussie driver, as he finished in 13th place.

The Team Penske driver, who turns 44, had taken to social media to share his positive feeling about the St. Petersburg Grand Prix qualifying session aligning with his special day.

Ahead of qualifying and after an impressive practice session, the two-time IndyCar champion, took to his X account (formerly Twitter) to express his mood.

“Qualifying today 👊 Ready to run some fast laps #INDYCAR #FirestoneGP #WillToWin,” he posted.

However, with the qualifying session not panning out as he had wished, the Team Penske driver detailed what he considered his mistakes.

Speaking to the media, he stated:

"Yea, just the beginning of the lap (got away from me) because you don't quite have enough temp in the front tire. I should've slowed the middle a bit more... carried a bit too much in the middle. Hit the tire, pushed out the wall, had to lift, and I mean there was easily enough time to get through. Missed by less than a half-tenth. So... Oh man, you cannot leave anything on the table in this series."

The 2018 Indy 500 winner was placed in Group 1 of qualifying, alongside 2024 Grand Prix winner Pato O’Ward, teammates Josef Newgarden, Scott McLaughlin, and many others.

The 2024 edition of the Florida showpiece was one to remember for Will Power. Despite qualifying in eighth place, his fantastic drive on race day was enough to see him claim second place in the Grand Prix.

However, with the 2025 grid highly competitive and several drivers eager to start their season on a strong note, Will Power’s lapse in qualifying may not go unpunished.

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Will Power was aiming for 10th pole position at St. Petersburg Grand Prix

INDYCAR Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg - Day 1 - Source: Getty

Will Power would have further cemented his name in the history books had he secured pole position at the St. Petersburg Grand Prix.

The 44-year-old currently holds the record for the most pole positions in American open-wheel racing, having surpassed Mario Andretti’s long-standing mark of 67 in 2022.

Power currently sits at 70 career poles and was looking to claim his 71st, which would have marked his 10th career pole at the Florida race.

The Australian ace had previously clinched pole at St. Petersburg in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, and 2020.

The former Queensland Formula Ford driver last tasted IndyCar Series success in 2022 and is one of several drivers tipped to challenge Chip Ganassi’s Alex Palou from completing a historic hat-trick of title victories.

Will Power will now shift focus to salvaging what is left of his race weekend and aim for better outings in subsequent Grands Prix as the 2025 season unfolds.