Sports
Denny Hamlin Uses Self-Afflicted Chase Elliott Retribution to Call Out NASCAR’s Brutal Restraint
They say, ‘When the going gets tough, the tough get going’. Denny Hamlin sure seems to be made from that toughened clay that can handle poetic justice for the greater good. He manages to see his own past mistakes in light of the Richmond penalty and gives an open hand to NASCAR to use how it deems fit.
To really understand this, we may need to rewind the clock a bit. The pit road clash between Denny Hamlin and Chase Elliott after the Martinsville race in 2017 is an event most NASCAR fans would remember. Today’s Austin Dillon was that day’s Hamlin, who bumped into Elliott and forced his car into the wall. While Hamlin tried to cover it up by saying he was himself pushed, Elliott called out his lies then and there. It was the urge to win that got Hamlin to do what he did.
Although Hamlin defended his move back then, he now realizes how childish it was of him in hindsight. People can often sympathize with others about their problems, but empathy only arises with one’s own experience of the problems.
I think that there’s some incidences that have happened in the past that probably, you know, if this is a new precedent, it could fall under those, I think. For instance, when I spun out Chase Elliott 2017,” admitted a remorseful Hamlin, at the pre-race presser.
So, Denny Hamlin now wants NASCAR to be the beacon of change to prevent such incidents from ruining races for the deserving. There is a need to take calls to put an end to reckless driving because that’s just not the game. And other motorsport series have been doing it on the spot, asserting the authority of the officials. “It’s just an easy call, it really is an easy call. But you [NASCAR] have to give the people in the tower [Broadcast team] liberty to do it. And hopefully, we’ve created new precedent,” suggested Hamlin, hoping for quicker calls in the future.
The reason why NASCAR took so long to take the call on the Richmond race is because they wanted to provide a fair view. The whole point of the policing approach adopted by NASCAR is to make the game equitable for all participants. “It’s just a matter of, that’s one where you need to really, you know, put your foot down and say we’ve got to police the sporting aspect of this at that point.”
But the delay can be seen from the perspective of finding it difficult to draw lines around contact between the cars. ‘Bump and run’ has always been a part of the sport, almost like a cultural thing. So, what if the precedence of policing will suck out all the fun from the game?
The current format of the NASCAR Cup Series with the Playoffs situation has converted the sport into entertainment for the masses. “In a lot of ways when you bring in the big money, you have to provide entertainment. And that’s what, Sunday night was entertaining to me, but race-wise I don’t approve of that,” said Mark Martin on the Dirty Mo Media podcast. The popularity of the sport did grow after the flow of money, but some sanctity will need to be maintained.
As long as there’s no impeachment of the racing conduct, all the surrounding glamor and fun are acceptable. But race needs to be purely about racing. No tricks, no tactics, just seamless maneuvering. “I know people are really worried about well we don’t wanna stop the contact, you’re not going to. We’re still going to push the edge to try to get the guy out of the groove to win the race,” Hamlin insisted, despite being party to the reckless act previously.
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Mick Schumacher, the son of seven-time Formula 1 champion Michael Schumacher, is in the running for a potential return to F1. The young racer has emerged as a late contender for a seat at Kick Sauber, which will become Audi in 2026. Led by Mattia Binotto, the team announced Mick as a candidate for their drivers’ lineup in 2025.
Speaking in an interview with Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, Binotto dived into details about the young driver. “We are definitely evaluating him [Mick Schumacher],” he said.
The statement is being seen as the 25-year-old’s last chance to return to the sport.
Mick has previous association with Mattia Binotto through the Ferrari Driver Academy.
Speaking about their connection, Binotto added, “I met him and spoke to him. I have known him for a long time, having been part of the Ferrari Driver Academy. I know his strengths and advantages. He is one of the names we have in mind.”
Mick, who drove for Haas during his last stint in Formula 1, was a reserve for Mercedes in the last two seasons. The driver was also in contention for a seat at Alpine after Esteban Ocon left the team for Haas. He even raced for the French manufacturer in the World Endurance Championship. However, the squad decided to go with rookie driver Jack Doohan, instead.
Audi Chief Binotto now has the young racer on the radar as he hopes to bring him back to the sport.
He discussed how the team was in no rush to make a hasty decision, especially now that most teams have already decided their line-ups. “There are two essential options: on the one hand, experience to set us on the growth path. On the other is a young, talented driver who can accompany us on the path to the top,” Binotto said.
With Sauber preparing for a full acquisition by Audi in 2026, the German carmaker looks focused on assembling a competitive team. Should Mick join Sauber, he would team up with Nico Hulkenberg, who leaves Haas at the end of the 2024 season. The 37-year-old German racer is taking one of the two seats next year.
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Carlos Sainz teased one day revealing his true thoughts on Mattia Binotto claiming he would not have signed Lewis Hamilton if still Ferrari boss.
Ahead of the F1 2024 campaign, Hamilton activated an exit clause in his Mercedes contract to engineer a blockbuster F1 2025 move to Ferrari, signing a multi-year deal. That came at the expense of Sainz, who has since agreed terms with Williams.
Carlos Sainz reacts after Binotto’s Lewis Hamilton Ferrari bombshell
At Ferrari, Hamilton reunites with his former junior series boss Fred Vasseur, who took over the reins at Maranello in 2023, after the exit of former team principal Mattia Binotto.
And Binotto has confirmed that if he were still calling the shots, Hamilton would not have got his Ferrari dream move.
Asked by Corriere della Sera if he would have signed Hamilton to Ferrari, Binotto replied: “No. But he did very well to go to Ferrari, I agree with his decision.”
Explaining his reasoning, Binotto said that Hamilton’s future Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc – a part of their line-up since 2019 and a Ferrari Driver Academy graduate – should be their centrepiece for an F1 title challenge.
“Because Ferrari had set their sights on other drivers. And if the talent is Leclerc, he is the one who somehow I think should be taken to the target,” claimed Binotto.
And Sainz, speaking at the 2024 Marca Sports Weekend, was asked for his reaction to that.
“Binotto says he wouldn’t have signed Lewis?” Sainz replied.
Gathering up his thoughts, Sainz teased that he would one day share them, but this was not the time.
“I don’t get involved in that,” he said, “I’ll keep my opinion to myself and I’ll tell you my opinion over dinner one day.”
As for the Hamilton and Leclerc partnership, Sainz believes it will be a successful one for Ferrari.
“He and Leclerc are two great drivers, I’m sure they’ll have a good time,” he said.
Sainz will be joining a Williams team striving to work its way up the F1 pecking order, with F1 2026 – the year that new chassis and power unit regulations arrive – very much the goal in mind rather than next season.
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Amidst the chaos in the Cup Series playoffs, one driver has been consistently getting the results while flying under the radar. Christopher Bell has been somewhat of a dark horse in the ongoing campaign, even though he’s currently second in the championship, having secured three wins in the season so far. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has shown great consistency over the last few weeks, finishing no lower than seventh in the last four races.
Despite the attention going towards the traditional favorites such as Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin, a prominent NASCAR Insider isn’t ruling out Christopher Bell as a genuine title contender if he does make it to Phoenix Raceway later this year.
He might not be in the headlines, but Christopher Bell has every reason to be optimistic about his championship hopes going into the last four races of the season. The 29-year-old has shown tremendous consistency over the last few months, having finished inside the top ten in 9 out of the last 11 races. As a result, the No. 20 Toyota Camry driver finds himself just behind Kyle Larson in the standings going into the Round of Eight. Even though Victory Lane has eluded the Oklahoma native, Bell is playing the long game, hoping to remain in contention, going into the Championship 4 race.
Highlighting his expectations from Christopher Bell, NBC Sports play-by-play announcer Leigh Diffey said on the Door Bumper Clear podcast, “I don’t think enough people give enough credit to Christopher Bell. To me, he’s that quiet achiever and I love the fact that how honest he was at Kansas where he made the mistake at the end of Stage 1 and Stage 2 when he hit the wall, said that’s totally on me. I just think he’s the only guy who’s made the Championship 4 the last two years in succession, and I just think the time is now for him.
