Will Power gives crucial IndyCar contract update after conversation with boss Roger Penske

Two-time IndyCar champion Will Power has given a key update on the timeline for his contract renewal with Team Penske. The 44-year-old revealed that he had a private conversation with team owner Roger Penske after the Detroit GP on June 1.

Power is in the final year of his current multi-year IndyCar contract, which he signed in April 2023. However, the 2018 Indy 500 winner is having a terrible 2025 season with Team Penske, with a series of misfortunes affecting all three drivers of the team, including Scott McLaughlin and Josef Newgarden.

Though Will Power has been the best performer among the three, Roger Penske has provisionally pushed contract talks to August, with the possibility that the negotiations could well spill over into the offseason after the season finale in Nashville on August 31.

Speaking about the possibility of his subpar run affecting contract negotiations, Power told Motorsportweek:

"Probably, it has probably pushed their decision a little further down the road. I met with Roger [Penske] after Detroit. He said then it would be August for us to reconvene. It’s still going to be late, maybe even after the season. I don’t have any clue what the scenarios are. I haven’t been told anything. All I’ve been told is ‘We’ll talk in August.’ That’s it."

The No. 12 Chevy driver lamented his bad luck of having such a substandard season in the year of his contract renewal.

“It’s just unfortunate that we’re having such a bad season overall. That’s just so typical. Those things ebb and flow, and happen to fall in a year I’m up for contract. Let’s see. Still have plenty of races to have some good days."

Will Power has secured four Top 5 finishes this season, including a sole podium at the Sonsio GP at the IMS road course. However, in two of the last three races before the ongoing Iowa double-header, he has DNFed twice.

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Will Power is disappointed with IndyCar's new car package for Iowa double-header

Will Power at the IndyCar - Hy-Vee Salute To Farmers 300 at Iowa Speedway- Source: Getty

Will Power has disapproved IndyCar's new car package for the 2025 Iowa double-header from July 11 to 13. The series brought a new high downforce, lower power package to improve racing at the 0.875-mile Iowa Speedway. IndyCar did it to offset the lack of competitiveness on the short oval after NASCAR repaved the track last year.

Power was one of 21 drivers testing the package at the Iowa Speedway on June 25. He shared that the high downforce took a toll on his body, with the G-forces considerably increasing.

"I was just trying to say to bloody IndyCar that 'Man, you gotta take some downforce off'. I'm just waiting for the tire to fail. It's just insane. It's painful. Like the G-force is bloody painful," he said on the Stacking Pennies podcast.

IndyCar has two 275-lap races at the Iowa Speedway. Race 1, the Synk 275, will begin at 5:00 pm ET on Saturday (July 12), and Race 2, the Farm to Finish 275, at 1:00 pm ET on Sunday. Will Power had won Race 2 at Iowa last year after teammate Scott McLaughlin won Race 1.

Edited by Luke Koshi