The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season is set to begin, and the pressure is higher than ever for the sport’s biggest names. With new driver-crew chief pairings, fresh rivalries, and rising talent in the field, this season promises to be one of the most competitive in recent years. However, veteran driver Denny Hamlin finds himself at a crossroads. With limited opportunities left to capture the eluded Cup Series championship, he has a lot to prove.

For Hamlin 2025 is all about redemption, especially after the disheartening 2024 campaign. He started the season on fire, winning the Clash at the Coliseum and three races in the first 11 events. But as the year progressed, his momentum faded, and he failed to win another race in the final 25 events. Now, as he prepares for 2025, Hamlin is looking for answers and he has finally opened up about his frustrating winless streak.

Denny Hamlin makes a candid confession!

Denny Hamlin’s 2024 season was a rollercoaster. It started with dominance but ended in disappointment. With wins at Bristol, Richmond and Dover in the first 11 points-paying race, it looked like 2024 just might be his year. However, as the season progressed, his pace faded. The No. 11 Toyota struggled to match the early-season speed and combined with the engine penalty jolt, he couldn’t hit his strides in the postseason.

During preseason production days, Hamlin sat down with Bob Pockrass of Fox Sports. In a candid conversation, he spoke about his extended drought without a victory. “It’s been an eternity. It feels like years, but yeah. I mean, we started the year off so strong, so fast, and just the speed kind of tapered off as the year went on. And you know, we got a little bit more consistent, you know, with our finishes once the playoff started, but just didn’t have the raw speed that we had early in the season,” Hamlin tells Pockrass.

Hamlin’s second half of the season was plagued with off-track drama. Be it the engine penalty, where he had no control over his destiny or the charter negotiation that transitioned into a lawsuit. It’s fair to say that the engine penalty and deduction of the 10 playoff points couldn’t come at a worse time for the #11 team. Even with 12 top-five finishes, his performance dipped in the playoffs, where he led just 26 laps. Six finishes of 30th or worse further added to his struggle, ultimately leading to his elimination after the third round. He finished eighth in the points standings and fell short of the Championship 4 for the third straight year.

While Denny Hamlin prepares hard for his maiden Cup championship in 2025, he will need to work with a new crew chief. After years of working with Chris Gabehart, the No. 11 team will now be led by Chris Gayle. The switch came as a surprise to Hamlin, who admitted he wasn’t expecting the change. “Yeah. I mean, those conversations will happen, and you know, they haven’t happened yet. But you know, we’ll have an opportunity to sit down and discuss a kind of, you know, where each other’s heads were at during the time. I think it’s going to be a welcome change for (Chris) Gayle and a welcome change for me,” Hamlin tells Pockrass.

Notably, Hamlin’s time with Gabehart has been extraordinary. In their six years together, Gabehart and Hamlin won 23 races, including two Daytona 500s. That marks Hamlin’s most successful partnership among the five crew chiefs he’s worked with in his 20-year NASCAR Cup career. However, the Virginia native and Joe Gibbs Racing will be keen to repeat their performance with Gayle. Going by his results at the Cook Out Clash, he certainly seems up for the challenge.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. slams Hamlin for his racing approach

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Denny Hamlin’s first run with his new crew chief, Chris Gayle, was amazing. During the preseason Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, Hamlin finished third behind Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney. While Hamlin had a top-3 finish to celebrate, former NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. slammed his racing approach. Dale Jr wasn’t impressed with Hamlin’s lack of aggression in the closing laps.

During an episode of the Dale Jr. Download, the NASCAR Hall of Famer criticized Hamlin for letting Elliott off too easy when the No. 9 car took the lead. “I didn’t want Chase to get spun out, but Chase didn’t get roughed up for the win. Chase kind of leaned on [Hamlin] a little bit, and then Denny just fell in behind him. Next corner, never f—— touched him. I’m like, ‘What are we doing? That’s not what anybody that bought a f—— ticket to the place wanted,” says Dale Jr.

Hamlin later explained his decision on his Actions Detrimental podcast. He believed he had enough speed to retake the lead without making contact. But as the laps wound down, he realized he had miscalculated. “I should have, in hindsight — I was like, I should have just kind of moved him out of the way, like he moved me out of the way,” Hamlin admitted.

The move—or lack thereof—raised an important question. Has Hamlin lost his aggressive edge? Throughout his career, he has thrived on hard racing and pushing the limits. But as he inches closer to the end of his Cup career, is he becoming more cautious? With a new crew chief, a winless streak to break, and a title still missing from his resume, Hamlin has a lot to prove in 2025. His performance this season will determine whether he still has the fire to be a championship contender or not.