Is David Malukas to Penske a Great Move?
It’s official: the rumors we’ve heard for months now that Malukas will be replacing 2-time champion Will Power at Team Penske! With Team Penske struggling last year, some new blood could be needed to inject life back into the Penske garage and to get Penske moving in a new direction.
But is David Malukas The Right Man for the Job?!
The man born in Chicago has been in IndyCar for 4 seasons now, since 2022, and to say he’s never shown potential is a lie. Malukas has earned three podiums despite never being on one of the top teams until now. He earned a podium piece at Gateway in back-to-back years with IndyCar backmarker Dale Coyne. Then this year at AJ Foyt Racing, he earned 2nd place at this year’s Indy 500, putting the historic team back in the national spotlight after years of struggles. He’s also had notable 4ths at Iowa and Texas.
But Malukas’s Story Also Makes Him Sympathetic to Fans
Because this isn’t the 1st time he’s been on a top team… technically. After his two impressive years at Dale Coyne, the young American had been signed to IndyCar’s fastest-rising team, McLaren. Replacing Felix Rosenqvist after he did an inadequate job replacing Oliver Askew. But tragically, he injured his left wrist in a mountain biking accident before the season started, which caused him to need surgery and miss the opening race of the season. Then another race followed, then another, and another.
But McLaren did sign a young American who was showing tons of promise, so even if it is unknown when Malukas will recover, surely they’ll be patient. And wait, so he can prove himself a worthy driver at McLaren, right? No, before he could even drive a race for McLaren, he was fired and replaced with Theo Pourchaire. Most drivers don’t get a chance like that, so to have it taken away from him before he could even race for them was heartbreaking. This has given McLaren a bad rep amongst Indy fans. And that makes getting a 2nd chance all the more incredible!
But Does Malukas Deserve It?!
While yes, he did get all those great results, it does hide a pretty big elephant in the room. Those were all at ovals, none at road courses. While the 2026 schedule does have five ovals on it, which is a lot, there are still 12 non-oval races to race at, and how well will he do at those? This season has shown improvement in that regard, scoring top 10s at Road America and Toronto, as well as greater consistency.
In 2023, he finished six road course races 20th or below, while in 2025, with Foyt, he finished only one road course below a top 20. Although none of his results have shown that race-winning potential yet, his highest finish at a road course this year was 7th. His teammate this season, Ferrucci, earned 2 podium finishes at road courses in 2025. So he’s not bad, but he’s not great either, so that leaves 1 question left to ask?
What Should Malukas’s Expectations Be in 2026?!
Well, it’s safe to say he won’t come in swinging and immediately replicate Will Power’s prime form, but if Penske returns to their best, then an Indy 500 win is in the cards for Malukas for sure. He earned a 2nd with Foyt last year and even qualified in the top 10 for that race, so it’s only natural to assume he can win it all in 2026. Generally, he should be able to dominate the ovals, especially at Gateway.
He’s earned two podiums in the past. As for the rest of the races, if he continues the progress he’s making, he should be contending for podiums at a few races and finishing around the top 10 for most. So he should finish top 10 in points while earning 1 or 2 oval wins. Thanks a bunch for reading!
