And then there were 19 days until the opening round of the 2026 NTT IndyCar Series season. Less than three weeks until cars are back on track, Andretti Global will run three of them, but the team has undergone a change, and in a big way. One driver is off to chase a Formula One dream. Who does the team find to fill the void? One of the greatest drivers in IndyCar history.
We do not see such driver movements often in IndyCar, but Andretti Global has made a big swing as it looks for its first championship since 2012. The pieces are there, and the team is coming off another respectable season. After winning three races in 2025, Andretti should be able to produce a contender. The only problem is too often this team is not in the conversation when it matters most.
At A Glance... We have no clue how this team will perform
We have no clue.
Good. Bad. Great. Terrible. Wonderful. Horrid. We don't know.
We think Andretti Global will be competitive and should be respectable, but Andretti Global is pretty inconsistent. In the last two seasons, it had a driver finish in the top five of the championship. Prior to that, it struggled to have a driver finish in the top ten of the championship. In 2023, its best driver was tenth. But just a few seasons before that, Andretti was a regular top five finisher.
Which team will we see?
You would think Will Power entering will boost this team, but this is a team that has had Kyle Kirkwood, Marcus Ercisson, Colton Herta, Alexander Rossi, Romain Grosjean, Ryan Hunter-Reay and James Hinchcliffe race for it full-time in recent seasons, and it has not had a full team effort lead to sweeping success. One driver shines at best or they all struggle. The organization hasn't had two drivers finish in the top five of the championship since 2018.
In the last two seasons, it has had multiple drivers in the top seven of the championship. That is progress, but only once in the last seven seasons has Andretti had multiple drivers win a race in a season. The track record speaks for itself. Everything on paper can be saying this should be an outstanding group, but paper has been saying a lot of positive things about the Andretti organization for a number of years now, and it has yet to be right.
Kirkwood led the team last year, but Herta went from championship hopeful to winless and he was not threatening at all last season. Ericsson declined in year two with the team when year one was not that impressive to begin with. There is excitement with Power joining this team, and at its best, Andretti and Power should be a dangerous combination. Power has some juice and Andretti has cars that can lead to victories, but if it works for Power, will Kirkwood remain at the same level we saw in 2025? Can Ericsson also rise? It never feels like a tide is lifting all boats at Andretti. One of them is always taking on water.
Maybe we do have a clue how this team will perform. Not as good as we think.
2025 Andretti Global Review
Wins: 3 (Long Beach, Detroit, Gateway)
Poles: 3 (Long Beach, Detroit, Toronto)
Championship Finishes: 4th (Kyle Kirkwood), 7th (Colton Herta), 20th (Marcus Ericsson), 34th (Marco Andretti)
Will Power - #26 TWG Honda
Numbers to Remember:
6,384: Days since Power's last IndyCar start with a team other than Team Penske and his scheduled Andretti Global debut (September 7, 2008 at Chicagoland with KV Racing)
357: Points in 2025, matching his fewest with Team Penske, which previously occurred in 2021, and ironically in both of those seasons Power finished ninth in the championship
6: Finishes outside the top twenty last season
What is the best possible outcome?
Power comes in and it is a hit immediately. The street course form of Andretti Global accentuates Power's best ability and that is his launching pad to more. He looks like the Will Power of old. He is back to being one of the quickest we have seen, and the speed translate to every circuit. Power looks like he is a veteran with the organization and makes you think he has always been with Andretti.
The best is opening the season with a victory in St. Petersburg, picking up another three or four victories, one being the Indianapolis 500 to boot. Everyone realizes Team Penske made a mistake as Power takes a stunning championship.
What is realistic?
I do think Power will excel with Andretti on street courses and that will be the best discipline of his season. He should be a regular top ten finisher and be able to bring another Andretti car into the conversation for the top five in the championship. The concern is we have seen Power have off days at Penske and we have seen Andretti have its slumps. A few of those seem unavoidable. If Andretti is off, I don't see Power being enough to lift the team on his own.
He is going to win multiple races. He is going to win on a street course and probably an oval. In all likelihood, Power is going to be the best Andretti driver in the championship.
Kyle Kirkwood - #27 Siemens Honda
Numbers to Remember:
7.889: Average finish in the first nine races of 2025, which includes being classified in 32nd for the Indianapolis 500 after being disqualified for modifications to the Energy Management System cover
14: Average finish in the final eight races of 2025
10.667: Average starting position in the first nine races of 2025
13.25: Average starting position in the final eight races of 2025
105: Laps led in the first nine races
9: Laps led in the final eight races
What is the best possible outcome?
Kirkwood repeats the first half of his 2025 season and then repeats it in the second half of 2026. Kirkwood is able to get more out of the car. He becomes a driver to beat at almost every race, and he gives Álex Palou a run for his money. If Kirkwood turns into a six-race winner and takes points away from Palou while also being a regular top five finisher. Kirkwood and the season learning from last season could turn him into a championship contender.
What is realistic?
Kirkwood had a great season last year, and he was Palou's toughest competition for the first half. Then it fell off in the second half. Kirkwood likely could be better than fifth with a more complete season. The speed is there to win, but there will be additional competition from within the organization on street courses with Will Power. That will take some points from Kirkwood. This will be a good year for Kirkwood, but it will be tougher for him to crack the top ten. He should have a spot comfortably in the top ten.
Marcus Ericsson - #28 Delaware Life Honda
Numbers to Remember:
9.34375: Average finish in 64 starts at Chip Ganassi Racing
16.3939: Average finish in 34 starts at Andretti Global
30: Finishes outside the top ten in Ericsson's first five seasons
24: Finishes outside the top ten in Ericsson's two seasons with Andretti Global
What is the best possible outcome?
Everything clicks in year three at Andretti. Bad days do not bite him. Ericsson is able to keep up with his two teammates and Andretti Global is an organization that is getting all three cars to the second round of qualifying regularly. On some weekends, all three are sneaking into the Fast Six. For Ericsson, it is returning to being a top ten finisher. Every race we are noting he is in seventh or eighth again. A few races a season, he is a little higher than that and gets on the podium. Anything in the championship top ten would be a smashing season for the Swede.
What is realistic?
Championship top ten is not impossible, but if it not click in year two with Andretti and it actually got worse, I don't see a major leap forward in year three. It should get better. If it isn't, Ericsson will be replaced. It is tough to run well in IndyCar. Someone has to finish 20th in the championship. Andretti doesn't think it should be one of its drivers. Ericsson can do better, but it doesn't feel like he is going to be a threat to win races, unlike his teammates. Top ten finishes should come his way, but I don't think they will be enough to get the championship top ten. Twelfth feels like the ceiling.
The 2026 NTT IndyCar Series season begins on Sunday March 1 with the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Fox's coverage will begin at noon Eastern.
