Will Power seals second IndyCar title at Laguna Seca

Will Power is a two-time IndyCar champion after sealing the crown at Laguna Seca on Sunday in what was the final race of the year.

Power started the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey from pole position, having broken the record for most poles in the series the day before – moving one ahead of the legendary Mario Andretti and onto 68 P1 starts.

He would cross the line in only third, though, with Alex Palou and Josef Newgarden getting ahead of him over the course of the 95-lap race at the iconic American circuit, though that was still enough for him to seal his second IndyCar title and his first since 2014.

Speaking after winning the championship, the 41-year-old said:

“Man, I had to drive the thing today.

“It was on the edge, very loose. Man, what a relief. What a relief to get that done.”

Consistency proved key in Power’s battle to win the championship, with him winning just the one race all-year long and instead banking plenty of points finishes along the way and avoiding retirements.

Only he and Scott Dixon finished every lap of this season whilst Power finished in the top five no less than twelve times, three more occasions than the next best driver in the field.

Indeed, that ability to regularly score good points meant that he’d end the season on top, and he revealed after the race that his mental approach was to look at the big picture from the very get-go and not get involved in make-or-break moments:

“From the beginning (of the season), it was just playing the long game, not necessarily going for the big wins and all that,” Power said.

A very wise approach from one of the most experienced drivers on the grid, and he deserves every credit for his performance over the season.

Team Penske also deserve credit as they