“You Really Have to Be Careful”- Bubba Wallace Showed No Mercy to Denny Hamlin After His Insensitive Tweet Against Kyle Larson in 2022

Published 01/12/2023, 10:45 AM EST

Social media’s unmatchable reach is a fact of life these days. It’s both a great asset, at the same time, can quickly become a liability. For instance, Bubba Wallace has shown how it can be used for good things. But 2022’s contentious Denny Hamlin tweet also showed how things can go south if not used with due caution.

Wallace is a driver who causes a great amount of division among fans. His fans and supporters always consider the work he has done for African-Americans a great addition to the sport. But his detractors don’t agree too much with that. In other words, he knows the ins and outs of social media usage.

Bubba Wallace let Hamlin know

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But for Denny Hamlin, his boss at 23XI Racing, that understanding came at the cost of a big controversy. In 2022, after Larson’s move caused both 23XI cars to wreck out of the race at Talladega, Hamlin posted a meme.

Possibly referring to Larson’s Asian heritage, he posted a video from the popular show Family Guy that took on a stereotype about Asian women. Predictably, that didn’t go down well with most people.

Bubba Wallace was among the first to speak up against it, despite Hamlin being his boss. Sportscasting reported him saying, “The world has got to be careful with what they say. It’s not just drivers. It’s every person that has access to a social media account that has a platform. There’s plenty of trolls out there that say whatever they want and get away with it.”

“When you’re a person that has a platform, that has a following, that has a voice; you really have to be careful on what happens, and sometimes you cross the line and step over it. It’s tough, but that’s the life we live, and that’s the invisible dotted line we sign,” Wallace said.

“You’ve got to learn from your mistakes and move on from it. We can all learn from that and that’s it. But NASCAR is continuing to make strides and we’ll have minor setbacks, but we learn from this and make things better.”

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Due to the strong backlash, Hamlin was forced into deleting his tweet and apologizing for the same.

What did Kyle Larson have to say about the tweet?

At the start, Hamlin tried defending himself against the tweets, but that tactic didn’t work out for him. He then posted a message of regret. NASCAR also had him undergo sensitivity training after the incident.

I took down a post I made earlier today after reading some of the comments. It was a poor choice of memes and I saw how it was offensive. It came across totally wrong. I apologize.
— Denny Hamlin (@dennyhamlin) April 26, 2022

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Hamlin also owned up to his mistake when asked about it by reporters. CBS reported him saying “Someone gave it to me and I thought it was hilarious. But it also is insensitive. I definitely understand how some people could find it offensive. And if it’s one, then it’s one too many.”

Larson was also asked for his opinion on the whole fiasco. As reported by Bob Pockrass, he said, “Obviously, it was just poor judgment on his part. And I think being in the position that we’re in, you have to be very careful with what you put out in the public. I know he’ll learn a lot here these next couple weeks. I think we’re all just ready to move past it and get back to focused on racing.”

“… No hard feelings from me. But I think after you put something out there, you realize how offensive it can be,” he added.

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It wasn’t an incident Hamlin would be too proud of when he looks back. But good that he was ready to admit his mistake.

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Written by:

Abhay Tyagi is a Formula 1 Author at EssentiallySports. Although he has completed his undergrad in Law and Management, he has always been eager to venture into the exciting field of sports journalism. With a special affinity for Engineering and Speed, Abhay has always found the world of Formula 1 quite exhilarating.

Edited by:

Akash Pandhare

“You Really Have to Be Careful”- Bubba Wallace Showed No Mercy to Denny Hamlin After His Insensitive Tweet Against Kyle Larson in 2022

Bubba Wallace let Hamlin know

What did Kyle Larson have to say about the tweet?

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