“How about that one, race fans?” asked Christopher Bell moments after taking the checkered flag at Phoenix. The JGR driver had truly put on a show. To win three races in a row and set up the second-closest finish in Phoenix race history is no easy task, but the #20 did it anyway. Even Bell knew he couldn’t disappoint fans when he said, “JGR ran 1-2, how about that?” 

Well, while fans might not be disappointed, his teammate certainly was. Losing out on the win by 0.049 seconds in a season you have struggled in doesn’t get easier, and this was evident from Denny Hamlin’s radio message to the team on completing the final lap.

“GOD DA—-! F—!!!” he screamed on the radio, visibly frustrated. Phoenix was the #11 car’s first real attempt at a race win. Starting from 10th place, Hamlin worked his way up when some pit stop magic from the team and clever driving put him in second place during the race’s two-lap restart. What followed was an intense 3-way battle for the win. Hamlin’s #11 stayed around the outside of the track while Bell dove down the inside.

Kyle Larson’s #5 stayed in the middle, slightly behind both cars. Entering Turn 3, Hamlin and Bell were neck and neck until Hamlin pulled the pin and went took the lead for a moment when Bell delivered the final blow. The inside line rewarded him with a race win at the last moment, and Hamlin’s frustrations exploded.

But these frustrations weren’t just about the Shriners Children’s 500. It was the culmination of the races so far. 2025 hasn’t started in the best way for Hamlin. A 24th place finish at the Daytona 500, #11 then struggling to break into the top 20 at the Circuit of the Americas and rounding it out with his season-best finish of 6th at Atlanta (excluding the Phoenix race) at Atlanta was enough to cause Hamlin’s outburst.

Despite this, Denny Hamlin tried to stay positive after the race. In the post-race interviews, he said, “I had kind of position on the 20. I knew he was going to ship it in there. He had to use me. He could. Obviously we just kind of ran out of racetrack there.” His teammate Christopher Bell amplified this by saying, “It was all about who could get clear on the restart. Neither of us could. We were racing really, really hard there coming to the line.”

Regardless, it is evident that, no matter what, Hamlin wants to be the top guy at JGR. This loss likely stings more due to the close margin and the fact that it was against Bell. Hamlin’s reaction to the loss, as captured on his radio communications, showed his frustration and competitive spirit, underscoring his desire to be the leading driver at JGR. Just a few weeks earlier, Hamlin had said on his podcast, “I am a competitive person as you may know. There is nobody that I hate seeing win more than my teammate because I know they’re driving the same thing that I’m driving. I know every driver is like, ‘Oh, I’m so happy for my teammate winning.’ I mean, I love Christopher Bell. He’s a great dude, but I don’t want him to beat me.”

Social media users were quick to comment on Hamlin’s reaction, sparking a lively debate about his competitiveness and sportsmanship. Fans and analysts alike are discussing whether Hamlin’s behavior reflects a healthy competitive spirit or if it crosses into unsportsmanlike territory.

Fans share their opinion on Hamlin’s behavior

Many fans empathized with Hamlin’s frustration, noting, “I’d hate to be that close to a W and miss it. I’d probably have the exact same reaction, verbatim. Props on Denny keeping it real clean. He coulda beat and banged but chose not to.” This sentiment highlights Hamlin’s sportsmanship in a heated moment, as he chose not to engage in aggressive driving despite his disappointment, and fans understood it based on Hamlin’s comments after the race. “Great finish. Great job by the whole Joe Gibbs team to give us some fast cars.” 

Another fan pointed out that if this were Formula 1, the situation might have been handled differently. “If this was F1, Bell would have been ordered to pull it back and let Denny win.” Formula 1 has its own share of instances where one driver has been asked to give way to a teammate. From Verstappen-Perez and Bottas-Hamilton to Norris-Piastri, the examples are endless. While NASCAR has seen its fair share of team orders in the same manner as the Martinsville race last year, JGR usually avoids these orders to foster healthy racing. Perhaps we could have seen a different story if it was later in the season with playoffs close.

Some fans noted that Hamlin’s frustration is understandable, especially given the context of racing against a teammate. “Heat of the moment, don’t blame him one moment. Everybody hates to lose, especially to a teammate rolling the same equipment.” Lastly, a fan humorously pointed out that Hamlin might be feeling the pressure of being in the later stages of his career. 

“I’d ‘certainly’ be ‘frustrated’ to finish second at Phoenix in the later stages of my career too.” This comment touched on the reality that Hamlin is indeed in the sunset years of his career at 44 years old. This makes each missed opportunity more significant. What makes this even worse for Hamlin is that Bell could be challenging the hierarchy at JGR. Despite Hamlin having the most wins in the team at the moment, it’s clear the young Bell is going for a big sweep. His win at Phoenix turned him into the only driver who won three consecutive races since Larson in 2021.

Even Coach Gibbs expressed his fear of the competition. “One of the things I always worry about when we get two of our cars up there, because that can make for an intense meeting tomorrow at 2:00. I can tell you that. Hey, they raced it out. It looked like nobody took unfair advantage. Just appreciate that. I think for the last two weeks in a row, we’ve had great finishes to races with people having a chance to show their skill and yet get it done the right way.”

As we reflect on these reactions, it leaves us wondering. Will Denny Hamlin’s competitive spirit continue to drive him toward success, or will the pressure of his career stage impact his performance?