NASCAR Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin was visibly upset after losing the championship this year. However, he maintained his composure as much as possible.The driver himself explained it on the latest episode of his Actions Detrimental podcast. He knew he had to control his emotions in front of his girls, especially since Molly, his younger daughter, was already distraught. By doing that, Hamlin wanted to teach his kids a valuable lesson.“I just tried to maintain my composure as much as I could for them,” Denny Hamlin said. “Kind of teach them one of the life lessons; you're going to face things that are not fair sometimes.”Denny Hamlin called the end to his 2025 championship bid unfair. He started the race from the pole position and led a race-high 208 laps at Phoenix. He had bagged his 60th Cup Series victory just a few weeks ago. The Joe Gibbs Racing icon remains the longest-tenured driver in the NASCAR Cup Series without a championship. The closest he has been to winning was back in 2010, when he finished second behind Jimmie Johnson.This year, Denny Hamlin was able to salvage a P2 finish on points, right behind the current points leader and 2025 Cup Series champion, Kyle Larson. In 35 starts, the Tampa, Florida native amassed six wins, 14 top fives, and 18 top-10s.Denny Hamlin reveals what he would have done had he won the 2025 Cup Series championshipDenny Hamlin is under a contract that will keep him behind the wheel of the No. 11 through 2026 and 2027. He will be back for his 21st full season in the Cup Series right after the off-season ends and the season begins officially with the 68th running of the Daytona 500, scheduled for February 15.However, none of that would have possibly happened had Hamlin won the championship. He would have simply requested his boss and JGR team owner Joe Gibbs to let him retire.“Listen, I would have begged Joe (Gibbs) to let me quit had I won that race,” Denny Hamlin explained. “I would have because it just would have been the perfect way for me to go out. But they are not ready for that yet.”“They have to have time to work on my succession plan, and we obviously set a date out now to at least come to when that is,” Hamlin continued. “But I would've certainly really, really asked him (Joe Gibbs) a big favor to let me end on that one had it gone well."For Hamlin, who will turn 45 in only a few days, his maiden race of the 2025 season is scheduled for February 1 at Bowman Gray Stadium. It will not be a points-paying race. The first point event of the season is the crown jewel Daytona 500, which Hamlin has won three times.