Hamlin then had bit of a hangover to start the 2011 season

Hamlin seemed to have a comfortable lead over Jimmie Johnson in the penultimate race of the 2010 Chase when his title hopes were derailed by a fuel strategy that backfired. Forced to pit for fuel late in the race, he scrambled just to finish 19th while Johnson was fifth.
Hamlin left the desert dejected after his lead was trimmed to 15 points and ended up losing the title the next week to Johnson, who earned his record fifth straight Sprint Cup championship.
Hamlin then had bit of a hangover to start the 2011 season and never really clicked, ending up ninth in the Sprint Cup standings.