Paddock Buzz: Will Power Fitting In With Streamlined Andretti

Andretti Global arrived at the Indianapolis 500 Open Test with a noticeably different look -- and mindset.

For the first time since its 2003 debut, the team fielded just three cars at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. From 2004-2025, Andretti entered at least four cars annually, including 13 years with five entries and three with six.

This streamlined approach also comes without a technical alliance, allowing for quicker, more focused debriefs following practice sessions. That added efficiency could prove valuable, especially with new addition Will Power (photo, top) in the lineup.

The two-day test marked Power’s first time in non-Team Penske equipment at Indianapolis Motor Speedway since his rookie season in 2008 with KV Racing Technology. He started 23rd and finished 13th that year before joining Penske in 2009, where he made 17 consecutive starts in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” highlighted by his 2018 victory.

“More calm,” Power said of the difference between Andretti and Penske at Indy. “It’s all pretty familiar, but probably a calmer atmosphere for this race. At Penske, there are a lot of expectations. If you haven’t won it, you feel that pressure, like you have to, because so many drivers there have.

“That’s the difference. Andretti doesn’t carry that same history here.”

Despite five front-row starts, Power chases his first Indianapolis 500 pole -- a surprising gap for the all-time NTT INDYCAR SERIES pole leader with 71. He paced much of Day 1 of the Open Test at 223.151 mph in the No. 26 Andretti Global Honda before slipping to 10th as a late group of runs reshuffled the top nine in the final minutes.

Andretti Global has faced qualifying challenges at Indy, earning just two poles in team history with Tony Kanaan (2005) and Marco Andretti (2020).

“That’s something we’ve lacked,” Andretti driver Kyle Kirkwood said. “Our race pace is always phenomenal. You see Colton Herta go from mid-pack to the front almost every year, and we’ve all done it. We just need to qualify up front and stay there.”

That makes this test critical for Andretti, eyeing qualifying speed over race pace. Kirkwood (220.273) produced the second fastest non-tow speed on the day.

Since 2020, Andretti has just one top-five finish at Indianapolis, with a best result of fifth in 2022. The team has recorded only three top-10 finishes since 2021, along with seven results of 30th or worse and just 69 laps led in that span.

Last year underscored the struggle, with finishes of 14th, 29th, 31st and 32nd. Ericsson finished second on track behind winner Alex Palou but was moved to 31st in the final order due to technical violations found in post-race inspection. Kirkwood crossed the line sixth but was moved to 32nd due to technical violations.

Starting position has been a key issue. In 2025, Andretti drivers qualified ninth, 23rd, 28th and 29th. The year prior, they started 11th, 13th, 19th and 32nd.

If that trend changes, the results could follow.

Much of that mindset shift stems from Team Principal Ron Ruzewski, who joined Andretti Global after a long, successful engineering and leadership stint with Team Penske.

“Ron has been a great leader,” Marcus Ericsson said. “He hasn’t turned things upside down – it was already a strong team – but he’s brought good ideas, especially for the Month of May. I feel like he’s added a lot, and that makes me very excited for this month.”

Schumacher Gets First Indianapolis Oval Experience

Former Formula One driver Mick Schumacher (photo, above) got his first taste of the Speedway’s oval, and he had a concise response to it.

“It was interesting,” he said wryly.

Part of that was based on experiencing the car almost too far on the edge – veterans call that “having a moment” -- and he immediately reported that to the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing crew, which told him to bring the No. 47 Honda to pit road for an adjustment.

“I didn’t know you could hear that,” the smiling Schumacher said to the reporter who quizzed him on it. “Yeah, essentially one of those important key messages that I've been told since starting on an oval has always been whenever something doesn't feel right, come in and we'll fix it. For me in that instant, it just didn't feel exactly the way it should have. It felt a little light on the rear specifically.

“Rightfully so, we came in and saw that there was an issue on the car. We got that fixed and went out again.”

Schumacher’s best lap of 220.781 mph ranked 25th on Tuesday’s speed chart.

Graham Rahal expects his rookie teammate to do well at the Speedway based on how quickly he picked up oval racing last month at Phoenix Raceway. Schumacher qualified fourth and might have finished on the lead lap in the race if not for an air gun failing on a pit stop.

Said Rahal: “I told him last night, ‘Dude, do what you did at Phoenix on the oval: Be silky smooth with your feet.’ … I think he’s got a bright future in these things. Stylistically, the way he drives does suit ovals quite well.”

Open Test Valuable for Daly’s Indy-Only Program

Conor Daly has completed 1,868 laps across 12 Indianapolis 500 starts, including a sixth-place finish with Juncos Hollinger Racing last year.

But unlike 2025, when he ran full-time, Daly returns this year in a part-time role with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing’s No. 23 Chevrolet.

He climbed from 29th to 10th with the team in 2024, leading 22 laps.

For an Indy-only operation like DRR, the Open Test is critical.

“These days are super important for us,” Daly said. “In 2024, it rained the whole test, so just having track time is huge. It’s about knocking the rust off and working through the checklist, getting everything sorted before the real pressure starts.”

Daly was fastest overall (225.394) Tuesday and sixth best on the non-tow results (219.270).

Palou Starts Fresh After Winning Car Heads to Museum

Palou’s 2025 Indianapolis 500-winning No. 10 DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda was added to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum last week.

That means a new car for his title defense -- a reality he views with mixed emotions.

“Yes and no,” Palou said. “Every year you start with something new and build it into what you want. So, while it’s a bit sad, it’s also part of the process. Hopefully we have that same ‘problem’ again.”

Siegel Gains Confidence

Nolan Siegel enters his third Month of May at Indianapolis and, for the first time, without participating in the Rookie Orientation Program.

After crashing in qualifying with Dale Coyne Racing in 2024 and failing to make the race and completing all three ROP phases again with Arrow McLaren last year en route to a 13th-place finish, Siegel can now focus fully on performance.

“ROP is not super fun,” Siegel said. “You’re going slow, and they tell you to go faster to make it better. It’s nice to just get straight into real running.”

INDYCAR SERIES machinery isn’t designed to go slow on this 2.5-mile oval. It’s designed to turn at high speeds, not limiting them.

ROP is fascinating because rookies must manage the cars at slower speeds than designed, which can make them a bit unstable. Doing so and completing 199 of 200 laps last year, Siegel has a new appreciation for this race.

“Much higher confidence having done the race distance,” Siegel said. “I've been saying it to everyone, it's one thing to go through all the practice and everything, like I did 2024, but then once we get out of the race, if you're uncomfortable, you can't just stop and make the car better. You can't take a break and take a breather. It's you're stuck with what you got.

“I think having the experience of figuring that out with driving through it and figuring out how to drive through those balance problems. Now, coming into practice, it's just much calmer.

“I feel like before practice, qualifying was as intense as it got, and now the race is another step above that, with the aggression.”

Siegel believes his car is strong already and is comfortable on Day 1, turning the 12th-fastest speed (222.324).

“I think all the work the team's done in the offseason seems to be paying off already,” Siegel said. “I think this was the first time we've gotten to really see what developments have been made, and it's immediately super comfortable, and the speed’s there.”

Hunter-Reay Effort Bolstered by Veteran Support

Ryan Hunter-Reay opened his Indianapolis 500 Open Test in the No. 31 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet, backed by GXO Logistics and the Armed Services YMCA.

The 2014 Indianapolis 500 winner (photo, above) joins a deep lineup alongside Pato O’Ward, Siegel and Christian Lundgaard.

Arrow McLaren has also aligned with NASCAR Cup Series team Legacy Motor Club, bringing veteran strategist Brian Campe back to the pit stand. Campe won the 2015 Indianapolis 500 with Juan Pablo Montoya.

Olivier Boisson was named as race engineer, with Didier Francesia as crew chief. Boisson was part of Tony Kanaan’s 2013 Indianapolis 500-winning team. Francesia seeks his third Indianapolis 500 victory (2008, 2021).

JHR, DRR Partner for VeeKay Entry

Juncos Hollinger Racing and Dreyer & Reinbold Racing announced Monday a joint entry for Rinus VeeKay in the No. 76 Chevrolet.

The partnership combines DRR’s Indy-only focus with JHR’s recent growth, creating a well-resourced effort. VeeKay brings experience in his first year with the team, including a front-row start with ECR in 2022.

OnlyBulls Backs Hauger’s Indy 500 Debut

Rookie Dennis Hauger logged 95 laps Tuesday in the newly branded OnlyBulls No. 19 Dale Coyne Racing Honda.

The green-and-white livery symbolizes growth and momentum as the rookie prepares for his Indianapolis 500 debut alongside teammate Romain Grosjean.

He was 14th overall with a top speed of 222.278, the best speed among four rookie drivers.

Odds and Ends

• VeeKay sported bright orange shoes during Tuesday’s test in celebration of King’s Day, the Dutch national holiday held April 27.

• Grosjean was sixth fastest (224.307 mph) Tuesday and credited the speed to veteran engineer Bill Pappas. “It's all him,” Grosjean said. “I'm just turning left, and he’s telling me where to go. Bill is going to be my support leg, or my third leg, whatever you want to call it -- here.”

• It took Hunter-Reay just 37 laps to complete both phases of the veteran refresher test, a near-perfect run. The first phase requires 15 laps at an average of 210-215 mph, followed by 15 laps above 215 mph.

• Katherine Legge (No. 11 HMD Motorsports with AJ Foyt Racing) is the only car not fully eligible for Indianapolis 500 testing and practice. Legge (photo, above) battled a clutch issue that delayed her session; although she turned a lap, a transponder problem prevented it from being recorded.

• Many Chevrolet-powered teams elected to run in traffic Tuesday, while Honda teams primarily focused on single-car runs until the final minutes, when several joined a long line of group running.

• The observed temperature for the 2025 Indianapolis 500 was 63 degrees; Tuesday afternoon’s temperature was nearly identical at 64 degrees.