Hamlin 'Going to Need Some Time' Before Thinking About 2026 Return

Nigel Kinrade, Lumen Digital Agency for Toyota GAZOO Racing

A couple of days removed from his biggest heartbreak behind the wheel of a race car, the pain has not subsided for Denny Hamlin. As Hamlin prepares for Tuesday night's NASCAR Awards Banquet, the driver, who led a race-high 208 laps, but lost the championship due to a caution with three laps to go at Phoenix sending the race into overtime, says that while he has a contract in place to drive for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2026, that he isn't prepared to stay committed to that contract at this time.

"I plan to, I have a contract to, but at this point, there's just absolutely no way that I would even, I don't even think about race car right now. Yeah, I'm going to need some time on this one," Hamlin stated in a press availability on Tuesday.

Hamlin, who admits that sleeping since seeing his dream of finally hoisting a Bill France Cup come crashing down in the final laps of Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series Championship, was asked how he's been holding up since the bitter defeat.

"I don't know about like you'd think," Hamlin anguished.

While Hamlin has suffered heartbreak after heartbreak throughout his 20 attempts at securing a NASCAR Cup Series championship, the 44-year-old says none of his past close calls holds a candle to the most recent disappointment.

"No way, not close. This one is deep," Hamlin revealed.

The reason the feelings are more heightened this time around for Hamlin is not just because this could end up being his last true chance to win the Cup, but because this time, he did everything right. Between the Playoff rounds leading into the Championship 4, preparation for Phoenix, and on race day, he was nearly flawless.

"Just, yeah, there's not a whole lot of second-guessing, I would say. From my standpoint, there's just not much else you can do about it. There hasn't really been any post-processing of like what you could do differently. I felt like I did exactly what the format asked me to do, and it still wasn't right," Hamlin stated.

While the pain of his defeat sliced through him like a knife, Hamlin was conflicted. Because while he was incredibly sad for himself, his No. 11 team, and his family and friends who have supported him through thick and thin, he couldn't help but feel happiness for Kyle Larson, his dear friend, who came out on the winning side of things.

It hurt to do, but Hamlin made a point to go to Larson's championship celebration party following Sunday's race.

Hamlin explained he went, "Just to pay my respects. I would hope that he would have done that for me. I think he would have. He's been a great friend of mine. You know, I hate for him that, kind of, the attention has shifted a little bit away from him and his championship. Because he's definitely, there's a difference in deserving and should have been. There's not one person who should ever question his deservingness of being a champion. That's what I don't like to see. But he's a great friend of mine. If it wasn't me, I was definitely happy for him. But I was just trying to do the right thing as a friend, regardless of my feelings and emotions, that evening. It was important for me to go and show him support."

Hamlin admits that he didn't stay at the part for long, and that he feels Tuesday night's awards banquet will sting worse than Larson's celebration event.

"It won't be as agonizing as having to sit through two hours tonight," Hamlin said. "You know, you can say that we're the only sport that [blank] lots of things, but having to make the losers sit there and celebrate the winners is just one of those extra things that we have to do in our sport that's painful."

While the banquet will be painful, Hamlin was able to find a silver lining in the event's placement on the schedule, which could afford him more time to get over what occurred last Sunday at Phoenix Raceway.

"I mean, the good news is the banquet is two weeks earlier this week, so the offseason is a little bit longer, but I'll get over it. It's just going to take a bit," Hamlin said.

If the 60-time race winner is indeed able to push past this latest sorrow, he'll climb back behind the wheel of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing machine for the 21st season of chasing the one thing that has eluded him, a NASCAR Cup Series championship.