Power: “Andretti Is a Top Team”

By Dennis Krause

Due to the terms of his expiring contract with Team Penske, Will Power wasn’t able to join his new team, Andretti Global, until the first of the year.

Since then, it’s been a busy time getting up to speed with the team according to Power, a two-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion, particularly with three races back-to-back-to-back to start the season. Having a weekend off before Sunday’s Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix at Barber Motorsports Park was a welcome respite.

“Gave us a little time to catch our breath, man,” said Power, who finished third at the recent Java House Grand Prix at Arlington. “For me in particular, learning a new team and all that, it's been such a, like, busy time. I've never been so busy in my life. To actually have a weekend off and digest a little bit of what needs to be worked on, what we need to be better and so on is definitely nice.

“We have a few more of them coming up. A lot of obviously at this point in the season prep going into the Indianapolis cars. Trying to get that done.

“We've been on the pace, I'll tell you. Definitely been on the pace. Andretti is a bloody good team. The cars are good. We're fast. We're at the front. That's all you can ask for.”

During the preseason, the driver of the No. 26 TWG AI Honda, spoke about the Andretti team being a championship contender within three years. Now, three races into the season, Power believes the team is already a contender for the championship now. Why?

“Because one of those races was a short oval and we were contending for a win there. That was a weakness last year.

“Man, I feel like I could have contended for a win at every race this season. So the pace is there. The ingredients are there to contend for a championship. It's been strong.”

After showing pace on the two street courses at St. Pete and Arlington, an Andretti strength over the years, a question mark remains for Power — how will the car perform on a natural terrain road course like Barber, a flowing 17 turn, 2.38 mile circuit?

“Obviously this is the next discipline coming up,” Power said. “It will be even more telling, where do we stand on road courses. That was a place the team felt they needed to work on last year.

“Yeah, that's why I said that. I'm like we're there. The team is leading the championship. It's right there. Kyle (Kirkwood) is leading the championship. Two rough races at the beginning. If I just finish Phoenix, I'm right there.

“That's the reason I said that, because I believe that.”

However, there is the matter of Chip Ganassi Racing’s Alex Palou, winner of the last three IndyCar championships, and four of the last five. The only driver to beat Palou during that stretch was Power, albeit with Team Penske. According to Power, in order to beat Palou, you cannot make a mistake.

“You can't have a weakness ultimately 'cause he will get you,” Power stated. “If you have a weakness, if you're not good in quallie, he's going to get you. In particular, if you're not good in the race. There's race pace, strategy, pit stops. You can't have a weakness, simply. That's the only way you're going to beat that machine, that No. 10 Ganassi machine, man.

“The driver, the crew, the strategy, the whole thing. I cannot pick a weakness of theirs. They're even really good on ovals. To beat them, you definitely are going to have to be putting it together every weekend. You cannot make a mistake.

“It's funny, he just keeps racking it up. Stumble a little bit here, he's got you. He's finishing ahead of you again. There's another chunk of points. Yeah, very difficult. Good stuff, though.”

While the sample size is small, just three races, could the trend of multiple race winners already this year continue throughout the season? And if that’s the case, could consistency become more important than race wins?

“It can definitely be that. But you got to remember, in all these places Palou is right there,” countered Power. “He's in the top two every time. Obviously Phoenix, would have expected him to be up there at Phoenix, as well. That is a good question.

“I don't think so. I don't think you can just be a top five-er all year. Again, I think you're going to have to win races.”

With two race wins and four pole positions over the years, Power is no stranger to success at Barber, where every little detail matters.

“Yeah, it's true,” agreed Power. “Spent a lot of time at that track over the years, but so has everyone. The little details do matter. You definitely get down to very fine details and different lines you can take, how you approach the track.

“I feel like I know it well now. I know how to extract time. Because it's a new team, car, I don't quite know how that car will feel there. It probably makes it a little easier because I know so many details about the track and how to be fast there.

“I was very quick there last year. It will be more about me giving good feedback to the team to get ourselves in a good window of car setup.

Yes, it’s early days, but Power says it’s not a surprise to him now that Andretti Global is already a race winner and championship contender.

“I mean, the thing that I've picked up, which literally walking around the team within a day the first time I went to the shop when everybody is working there, they've got everything they need to win. It's there. It's a matter of putting a good weekend together. Obviously pit stop strategy.

“They are a top, top team. Like there's nothing that says to me that they're not a team that can win a championship. In some respects they have more resource than where I came from. They're very smart people.

“It's no surprise to me now that I've been there that we are at the front. Like, I'm finding myself being able to be in the top five each weekend.

“Honestly last year that wasn't the case for me. At times we struggled a lot. Obviously it's a very small snippet, only three races. They're three quite different tracks. This will be another track for us to see where do we actually stack up.

“Very happy about being there. I really am.”

Dennis Krause has spent decades covering all forms of motorsports, including over 40 Indianapolis 500s, with stints at WIBA Radio, PIT PASS - Radio’s Premier Motorsports Magazine and Motorsports Minute. Follow him on X @DennisKrause500 or motorsportsminute.bluesky.social or motorsportsminute on Threads or MotorsportsMinute+ on Facebook.

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