Denny Hamlin pushed back against Jordan Bianchi's defence of the playoff format. Bianchi stated that the current system 'makes things more exciting', and Hamlin rebuked the notion as a 'casuals perspective' that doesn't consider the core fan base.The playoff debate has been hot for a while now. Mark Martin's critique of the format gained traction recently, and NASCAR's leading figures, such as Chase Elliott, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Denny Hamlin, were in agreement. Their argument stems from the fact that the current system rewards one-off victories over season-long consistency.However, Bianchi has shared an opinion on the contrary. In a recent episode of The Teardown podcast, he weighed in on the ongoing debate, saying:"I want to see drivers during the regular season rewarded for winning races with a playoff berth....I think it makes things more exciting, it adds another story and today is a perfect example not only with Ryan Preece but also Brad Keselowski. Brad Keselowski today if he would have won or if he can win one of the next three races saving his season, that's a big story and the sport is better for that."When Jeff Gluck shared the clip and asked if Bianchi was right, Denny Hamlin responded under the post."No, he does not. He’s picking entertainment from casuals perspective over the sport’s integrity and our core fan base. Numbers don’t lie," he wrote.Shane van Gisbergen, who currently ranks 25th in the drivers' standings, is a recent beneficiary of the playoff system. With three wins coming from his road course mastery, the New Zealander has secured a playoff berth in his rookie season.Denny Hamlin critiques NASCAR's one-race championshipDenny Hamlin recently addressed NASCAR's championship format, which ends with a single-race title decider. In the season finale, the top four playoff contenders compete head-to-head, with the highest finisher crowned champion, while all accumulated points are reset before the race.Hamlin shared a blunt take on the matter, saying in an episode of Actions Detrimental (via Dirty Mo Media/X):"One race is just not the way to do it. You must create a larger sample size to crown your champion because in one race anything can happen. Everything that I work for can get taken away by someone else that has nothing to do with this championship battles." Denny Hamlin also mentioned how NBC has a greater say in deciding the playoff format. The broadcaster is part of a NASCAR committee that oversees potential playoff changes for the 2026 season. A decision on the same is expected by this August, seeing how the broadcasters have asked for next year's schedule by month's end. In their part, NBC stated that they'll let NASCAR figure out the playoffs.Denny Hamlin is currently the most winningest driver on the grid, with four wins coming across 22 starts. However, he's 51 points adrift of the season leader, William Byron. He needs to close the gap in the next three races to claim the regular season championship, and the 15 bonus playoff points that come with it.