Will Power earned his first podium of 2026 in the third race of the IndyCar season. (Photo: Charlotte Delowery | @lottie.motorsports)
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Andretti Global driver Will Power is excited to race at Barber Motorsports Park with his new No. 26 team after two past NTT IndyCar Series wins at the 2.3-mile, 17-turn Alabama road course.
After a happy ending to a testy tripleheader with a podium finish at the Arlington Street Circuit, Power is ready to race his first road-course race with Andretti. The 45-year-old Australian driver won twice at Barber in back-to-back years (2011, 2012) with his previous outfit, Team Penske.
Speaking during a Tuesday media availability session ahead of the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix, the No. 26 Honda driver shared that it is going to be “an interesting weekend” for him and his Andretti team.
“It’s certainly a flowy track, very different to what we just came from, very different to, like, St. Pete,” Power said. “It’s going to be an interesting weekend for me. It’s the first time I’ve driven this thing on a road course, like a fast-flowing road course.
”I’m very interested to see where we stack up, if there’s any work to be done. Every year you come back, it’s more competitive. We kind of know that. Yeah, it is a track I really enjoy. It’s a track I’ve had a ton of success at. Always expect to be the pointy end there.”
Taking a break after a tough start to the 2026 season
Will Power started his first season with Andretti Global crashing in practice and during the season-opening Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, resulting in a 22nd-place finish.
Next, at Phoenix Raceway, the Australian driver crashed in qualifying and made contact with Christian Rasmussen in the race. That contact ended Power’s climb up from last place at the short oval, as he finished the day 16th in the Arizona desert.
Power's Phoenix Qualifying Crash
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However, Power turned a challenging situation into a positive one in Arlington, Texas, finishing third on the podium in the inaugural street race. The 45-year-old was happy to take a break from the “busy time” between Arlington and Barber to fully understand the season ahead.
“Gave us a little time to catch our breath, man,” Power said about the time off. “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.”
Although there was a break in the action for one week, the Andretti driver has been busy preparing for the rest of the season, especially the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500. Power told members of the media that his team has “been on the pace” and is excited to show it at Barber and Indianapolis.
”We have a few more of them coming up,” Power said. “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.”
Everyone ‘looking very closely’ at Palou
With three different championship leaders after three races in 2026, multiple drivers are hoping to see themselves at the top of the NTT IndyCar Series standings.
However, Will Power noted that everyone is “looking very closely” at Alex Palou. Although the four-time IndyCar champion ended his Phoenix race early with a crash, he won at St. Pete and finished second at Arlington.
“Yeah, I would say most people, like every team, but Ganassi, I suppose, we’re all looking very closely at Palou,” Power said. “He’s just a standout. If you look at the other Ganassi drivers, they’re not on that level at all. I think he’s the one setting the standard. That’s kind of what everyone’s trying to get to. He is consistently there no matter what track.”
Power will return to the track in the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix at Barber Motorsports Park on Sunday, airing on FOX at 1 p.m. ET.
After a podium at Arlington, can Will Power get his first win with Andretti Global at Barber? (Photo: Charlotte Delowery | @lottie.motorsports)