Two-time IndyCar champion and 2018 Indy 500 winner Will Power is making his debut in the Intercontinental GT Challenge this weekend. The Australian driver completed his first laps in the No. 75 Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo for 75 Express during the Indianapolis 8 Hour race weekend.
In an interview during the pre-qualifying sessions, Power explained how “awkward” it felt racing a GT3 car around the 2.439-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, where he’s only raced Indy cars in the past decade and won five times. He also found a significant difference in the pressure involved during the event.
“Honestly, my first run felt so far end because I’ve done so many laps in an Indy car,” said Will Power. “Felt very awkward, but feeling way more comfortable now. Having fun and enjoying it. Great atmosphere, a bit more relaxed than IndyCar, because you got other drivers that can do a great job for you.”
Will Power has experienced teammates in Chaz Mostert and Kenny Habul to lean on for the race on Saturday, October 18. The No. 75 Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo qualified sixth on the grid for the Indianapolis 8 Hour with a time of 1:22.506, nearly three-tenths off pole.
While Power, who leaves Team Penske for Andretti Global in 2026, found his first run “awkward,” he settled in nicely and found the GT3 cars to his liking.
“But the [GT3] cars are very good; the braking, the performance you get out of a heavy car like that is amazing. It’s got good downforce, good horsepower, really fun. I really enjoyed it,” the IndyCar driver said via RACER.
Will Power highlights key differences between IndyCar and GT3 racing
Will Power’s one-off move to endurance racing comes during a period of transition from Team Penske to Andretti Global. The 44-year-old never competed in an endurance race during his 17-year IndyCar partnership with Penske or his 21-year IndyCar career. His last endurance outing dates back to the 2002 Bathurst 1000 in the Supercars championship, making the gap to his Intercontinental debut 23 years.
Comparing the two challengers – GT3 versus an IndyCar Dallara DW-12 – he said:
“I think following is different. You see a bit more in front of you with an open-wheel car, and also you lose a lot of just front, and not overall, grip. I think working out how to get by people will be something that I’ll have to work on during the race – where you place a car and that sort of thing. Plus knowing you’ve got no car here [motioning left], and you’ve got all car out there [motioning right]. You’ve got to know that too!”
Power finished eighth in the 2025 IndyCar standings in an unusually challenging year for Team Penske. Despite being the team’s best performer, the Roger Penske-led team wouldn’t offer him a contract extension longer than a year. However, it was the repetitive delay in negotiations that made him depart the team for Andretti Global, which offered him a multi-year deal from 2026.
alt=”Yash Kotak” height=”72″ width=”72″>
Edited by Yash Kotak
