Rick Hendrick is extremely particular when choosing the drivers for his Cup Series team. This is one of the aspects that make Hendrick Motorsports one of the most successful teams in history. His statement on reigning Cup Series champion Kyle Larson proved the trust he has in his drivers. But that also sets a benchmark for others in the organization, and one such driver is facing a tough reality right now, battling a strong rumor of losing his seat.

Will Hendrick Motorsports witness a revamp in its driver lineup?

Alex Bowman is currently in his tenth Cup Series season with Hendrick Motorsports. While he is a proven race winner, his 2025 campaign finished in disappointment and with a win drought. This has sparked speculation of him losing his contract at the end of this season. But Bowman is attempting to shift his focus away from that and back to the track.

“The easiest way to kind of turn that stuff off is to go in races and perform at a really high level, which we’ve been able to do. Obviously, we didn’t end the season on a high note last year. We didn’t win a race last year, which was really disappointing,” he admitted ahead of the Daytona 500.

Bowman was incredibly consistent throughout the 2025 season, ending the run with multiple top-10 finishes and was also the runner-up at Homestead and Richmond. However, he remained distant from a race win.

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While he has been a part of Rick Hendrick’s lineup for a long time now, Alex Bowman has never had an impressive finish. He has been distant from title contention, all while Kyle Larson clinched two, proving how strong the team can be on the track. As he heads into his final season on the current contract, Bowman has no other choice but to win races this year.

The least expectation from an HMS driver is to win races. But in Bowman’s case, it is tough to say if it will lock him into a contract with the team.

Bowman might not have control over his contract, claims NASCAR insider

No matter how hard Bowman tries to win a race this year, the truth is that there are simply way too many drivers in the Cup Series. Many have proven themselves in weaker cars and teams compared to the combination that Bowman has. Quite a simple fact, which NASCAR insider Bob Pockrass puts out uniquely.

“Is that going to be good enough get an extension? You know, we’ll see. But it could depend on a guy like Tyler Reddick. Does he want to stay at 23XI? Where does he see that program going? Who is willing to wave potentially a bigger check in front of him? So, it might not totally be in Bowman’s hands,” Pockrass said.

Tyler Reddick has also been open about his uncertain future at the end of this season. He remained the more competitive driver within 23XI Racing, but his 2025 campaign did not yield many impressive performances. However, his latest win in the Daytona 500 will surely change things for him now.

Alex Bowman, seemingly, will have to do more than just win races this season to keep himself with Hendrick Motorsports.