Will Power converted starting dead last into a remarkable podium result on the Streets of Markham on Sunday.
After starting 25th, the 45-year-old Aussie maneuvered around the tricky 2.19-mile, 12-turn temporary street circuit in what became arguably the most chaotic race of the 2026 IndyCar season to finish third in the Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham.
“I don't know how we ended up there,” said Power, driver of the #26 Andretti Global Honda. “Actually, we had a really good car on restarts. Definitely made a lot of positions there. Then it was about making good strategy calls.”
Sleepless crew & the 'impossible' bet
Power’s charge was made possible by an all-night effort from his Andretti Global pit crew, who worked late into the night - after a day that saw them already repairing damage from a Practice 2 crash - completing an engine swap.
“Yeah, man, the guys worked. A lot of those guys got two hours of sleep last night,” Power said. “Repaired a car from Practice 2, do an engine last night. I wanted to have a good day for them. You have to put everything out of your mind, head down.”
That hard work paid off on the pit stand under the direction of his strategist and Andretti Global Team Principal Ron Ruzewski, who set an ambitious target before the green flag.
“Ron Ruzewski usually puts me in the best spot. He did it again today,” Power said “He told me, ‘What bonus do I get you if you get on the podium?’ I’m thinking it is impossible. I said, ‘Whatever you want.’ Goal is top three today. I'm like, ‘There's no way, dude.’ We end up there. He does a very good job. Very good job on the stand.”
Hustling through the field
As the race unfolded, Power hustled aggressively on restarts to gain track position, and was pushing through the field on a furious charge - with teammate Marcus Ericsson in his wake - during the final stint.
“At the end there you had to make a lot of passes to move yourself forward, which we were able to do,” Power said. “My tires were pretty done at the end there. Just sort of holding on. But the others had to save fuel, so that helped get us up to third... Just didn't quite have the pace 'cause I had that many more laps on my tires. I really hustled to make track position. Kind of hurt my tires early. Tried to conserve.”
Teammate contact & radio breakdown
The late-race drama reached a boiling point when eventual race winner Ericsson, who was on a fresher set of soft alternates after pitting off-sequence under the green flag on Lap 69 of 90, closed in fast on Power
“Marcus was just very fast all day,” Power said. “Marcus, like, pulled an 18-second gap. He just took off because he had the pace.”
As Ericsson closed in to pass, a radio miscommunication nearly sparked disaster. Late in the race, Ericsson launched a lunge into Turn 5, resulting in brief wheel-to-wheel contact between the two teammates.
“Yeah, it was miscommunication 'cause the team came on and said, ‘Marcus is really quick, he's coming,’” Power said. “I said, ‘Okay, tell him I'll let him go on the back straight so I can stay close to (Alex) Palou.’ He didn't get the message, or it wasn't quick enough for him. I didn't even look in my mirror. I just turned. I had no clues there. I just turned. That was close that we didn't ruin a good day for the team there.”
Power further added, “Obviously at that point I was upset because we lost such a gap. Just miscommunication. It was going to be fine, yeah. But we ended where we were going to end anyway, so it was fine.”
Building late-season rhythm
Despite the hair-raising clash, Ericsson went on to secure the victory, capping off a banner day for Andretti Global with a double podium. For Power, the drive highlighted a strong rhythm building across the garage as the season hits its stride.
“Car was really good on restarts,” Power said. “I think we made good changes for the race. Yeah, the team's really clicking. I would say like Mid-Ohio and Portland we were really, really starting to gel, everything is working out. It's been a good year. Four podiums in a year in IndyCar, it's very tough, man. It's very tough to get that. As bad as it has looked at times, we've had great potential. We're really starting to come on now.”
