When the “K” in RFK Racing parted ways with the team after five years, it seemed like an amicable split. No messy breakup, no hard feelings. But things soon took a turn, with reports of a no-hoodie rule, rejected expansion plans, and complaints from anonymous employees coming to light. Now, with Brad Keselowski’s leadership being questioned, Denny Hamlin is here to give his two cents on the entire debacle.

As a driver and co-owner of 23XI Racing, Hamlin knows the challenges of running a team, and he isn’t convinced the criticism tells the whole story.

“Brad has a specific vision he wanted for his race team, and if you listen to the anonymous people that chimed in on that article, while they said they definitely listened, if they brought up the hoodies, it means they didn’t like it. They didn’t like that, right? They changed the wallpaper of their computers, but no one in there denied that well the results were better,” Hamlin said on the Rubbin’ is Racing podcast.

Hamlin’s comments came after The Athletic’s Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi published a detailed report on the tensions behind Keselowski’s upcoming departure. According to the reporting, Keselowski wanted to bring the team closer to the professional standards he had experienced at Penske.

His vision, according to the reporting, included a no-hoodie rule, white walls throughout the shop, an upgraded gym, and computer wallpapers displaying the team’s core values. Those changes may sound minor individually, but together they reflected Keselowski’s desire to reshape the organization’s identity. He acknowledged the hoodie rule himself when discussing his departure in Las Vegas, admitting it had drawn criticism.

This doesn’t mean that Hamlin agrees that the Keselowski way is the only way to run a team. In fact, he mentions that things are rather different at 23XI Racing. There, he allows competition staff to dress casually and wear what makes them comfortable.

As he explained, “Me and Brad just have different ways, and there’s not one way that I’m saying is better than the other.”

Now, that difference matters because Keselowski’s impact at RFK cannot be judged by workplace complaints alone. The organization had spent years trying to return to the front, and his arrival coincided with a significant competitive step forward.

In 2023, Keselowski finished eighth in the Cup standings, while teammate Chris Buescher won three races. Keselowski then broke his own winless streak with a victory at Darlington in May 2024. In 2026, RFK had two drivers (Ryan Preece and Buescher) hunting for the championship in the Chase.

Sure, Keselowski might not have been the only reason behind the turnaround, but there is no denying what Hamlin is trying to say.  In fact, this is something even Earnhardt Jr. agrees.

“They started running better. They started winning races. I’m gonna tell you, man, before Brad, dude, things weren’t good,” Earnhardt said on The Dale Jr. Download.

Junior recalled of a time when both the RFK cars could run around 35th, making finishes between 12th and 15th feel like a good day!

Even after the glorious run, things are ending. RFK wanted Keselowski to move toward a leading competition role sooner, while Keselowski remained determined to continue racing. The wider reporting suggested that disagreements over his influence and the team’s direction also played a part. RFK leadership, however, pushed back against the idea of an adversarial relationship.

Keselowski even responded to the hoodie discussion with a sarcastic post on X: “Didn’t know so many people loved hoodies.” It was a brief jab, but it captured how an unusual workplace rule had become a talking point around his departure.

The irony is that Hamlin once considered bringing Keselowski into 23XI before the latter joined RFK. Hamlin revealed that he contacted Keselowski when Keselowski was preparing to leave Penske, but the discussions went nowhere because they had different expectations over compensation and ownership.

Keselowski ultimately found the ownership opportunity he wanted at RFK, where he could help shape the organization rather than simply drive for it.

That history gives Hamlin’s current assessment added weight. For Hamlin, the key question is whether people can buy into a leader’s vision. Some employees may thrive under a demanding structure; others may resent it. The complaints deserve attention, but they do not automatically invalidate Keselowski’s work.

Hamlin’s point is simpler: a team owner’s methods can be controversial without making the results any less real.