Will Power sure is making Team Penske look silly right now.
He became the first Penske driver to win an IndyCar race in this comically un-Penske like season with a commanding victory at Portland International Raceway in Oregon.
It was fitting that the breakthrough win of the season came from Power, the steadiest of the Penske trio this season. He's ranked sixth in the IndyCar standings, highest among Power, Josef Newgarden and Scott McLaughlin.
“It’s what we expect at that team. I’m driving the best I ever have. Simple as that. I’m not slowing down. I am not slower, I am faster,” Power declared. “My toolbox is still big as far as understanding the cars, race craft, all that. I guess I’m different to some people. I never stop working at it. It’s a passion. I love it. That’s why I’m still winning.”
It's a contract year for the Australian, who has given no indication the team has shown any movement toward extending Power into next year despite his long history with the team, years of winning, and his showing as arguably the best of the Penske drivers this year.
He didn’t discuss his future post-win but did acknowledge his years of gratitude to Penske and longtime sponsor Verizon.
“I’ve had a great career with Verizon and Penske,” he said, “so I just really, really enjoyed winning for the guys and everyone I’ve worked with for a long time.”
Power, who turned 44 this year, has been with Penske since 2009 and won an Indianapolis 500, two IndyCar titles and his 45 career wins rank fourth on the all-time list. Power also holds the record for the most pole positions in series history with 71.
Power won three races a year ago and was in the championship fight until the finale. His Portland win is his second-straight in Oregon and has him as the highest-ranked Penske driver.
“It was just satisfying for the whole team, man. Just driving down pit lane, seeing each crew so happy we finally got a bloody win," he said. "Both teammates came to victory lane. I was just happy for the group because it was just an unusual year for us.
“Yeah, never count out Penske, man.”
He said the win is a statement to both Penske and any other interested teams, but he was adamant he's got nothing to prove.
“It’s probably good on both fronts,” Power said. “I mean, I won three races last year. If you’re a team, if you’re waiting on me to know if I’m good enough, I don’t know what you’re thinking. If you’re actually waiting, ‘I’m not sure if this guy is good enough?’ Just go back to last year and you’ll (expletive) know.”
Jonathan Diuguid, who was promoted to president of Penske Racing after a May scandal cost three top executives their jobs, stayed away from commenting directly on Power’s future as he celebrated his first win in his new role.
“Will’s future is about 30 minutes old from winning a race. His future’s definitely bright,” said Diuguid. “He did an amazing job today. Looking forward to the last two races of the season.”
He later declined outright to address Power's status with the team.
“Look, I’m not going to discuss that today. I’m going to focus on the win, the team performance,” he said. “Winning can do a lot of things. It’s very positive for our program. We’re going to reap all the benefits of that as we head to Milwaukee.”
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FILE - Will Power, of Australia, watches as he waits for is turn during qualification for the Indianapolis 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, May 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File)
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Madison Keys planned to walk into the player tunnel at Rod Laver Arena in a quiet moment when nobody was watching, and take a photo of her name listed with the other champions at the Australian Open.
After beating top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka in last year's final at Melbourne Park to win her first Grand Slam title, Keys pictured the moment she'd return to the stadium for the first time as defending champion.
“I’ve always kind of remembered walking through that tunnel and seeing all the names,” she said Friday, two days before the first major of the year starts. “It was a little bit of a pinch-me moment where I was like, ‘Wow, I’m going to be up there.’
“I have not seen my name in the tunnel yet. I hope I can go in there when there’s no one else so I can take a picture and send it to my mom."
Before facing the media in Melbourne, she couldn't help but notice other evidence at the venue of her breakthrough triumph.
“There’s a really cool photo of me holding the trophy," Keys said. “Getting to see those, it’s something you dream of in your career.”
The 30-year-old American said it was easy to look back almost 12 months and think everything worked to perfection, but "also you think about, ‘Wow, I almost lost.’
"I was match point down. So many three-set matches. There were some ugly matches. I think it kind of just makes everything a little bit better just because it wasn’t issue-free.”
Keys won a tune-up tournament in Adelaide in 2025 before ending Sabalenka's 20-match winning streak at the Australian Open. At 29, she was the tournament's oldest first-time women's champion. She also set a record as the player with the longest gap between their first two Grand Slam finals — her first was the 2017 U.S. Open.
The Australian Open victory launched her into a Top 5 ranking the following month. After the breakthrough, though, she was ousted in the French Open quarterfinals, the third round at Wimbledon and had a nervy first-round exit at the U.S. Open. At the season-ending WTA Finals, she lost two group-stage matches.
Sabalenka, meanwhile, admitted Friday that the loss here to Keys last year was tough.
“She played incredible and overplayed me. Took me a little time to recover,” she said. “We had matches after that. I worked on my mistake on those matches.
“Going to this AO, I’m not really focusing on that last year result but of course I would like to do just a little bit better than I did last year!”
Sabalenka, who beat Keys in the quarterfinals last week en route to the Brisbane International title, plays her first-round match Sunday night against Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah, a wild-card entry from France.
Keys also lost in the quarterfinals in her title defense in Adelaide earlier this week. But she's taking it in her stride as she prepares for another career first: defending a major title.
“Even though I’ve been on tour for a long time, this is also still my first experience as that,” she said. “I’m really just trying to soak in all of the really cool fun parts."
Seeded ninth and on the other side of the draw from Sabalenka, Keys is scheduled to open against Oleksandra Oliynykova of Ukraine.
“Yes, I’m sure going on court I’m going to be very nervous," she said, "but I don’t think I’ve ever walked on court first round of a Grand Slam and not been nervous.”
Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus waves to the crowd after winning the women's final match against Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine 6-4, 6-3, at the Brisbane International tennis tournament in Brisbane, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)
Madison Keyes of the United States reacts during press conference ahead of the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
