Denny Hamlin has taken aim at several NASCAR stars, accusing them of following orders from Rick Hendrick.

Hamlin praised Kyle Larson's performance in Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway but suggested the Hendrick Motorsports driver benefited from support from fellow Chevrolet teams.

There was widespread speculation that Chevrolet drivers had prioritized helping Larson throughout the race, with William Byron repeatedly pushing his team-mate to secure valuable stage points during the opening half.

Byron helped Larson on the bottom line while Ross Chastain, who was a lap down, disrupted the outside lane. The strategy also offered Chastain a potential route back onto the lead lap if a caution had been called.

Chastain eventually returned to the lead lap and played a key role in giving Larson the push he needed to secure victory on the final lap, while also finishing in the top five himself.

Hamlin did not completely criticize Chevrolet's team strategy but said on his Actions Detrimental podcast that it helped Larson secure victory and deal a major blow to his rivals' Championship hopes.

"He's doing what he's told," Hamlin said of Chastain. "So as a driver, you're the lowest on the totem pole when it comes to team orders or manufacturer orders. I'm going to put Hendrick at the top, then below that is Chevrolet, and below that is Trackhouse. Below that is the crew chief and then below that is the driver -- that is the totem pole in which (Chastain) is answering to. They have no choice.

Hamlin also claimed that Hendrick dictates how Chevrolet's teams operate. "That just is what it is," Hamlin said. "And so, you have to suck at the teat of the master. I mean, that's just the way this thing works. And I'm sorry, but that is the truth. And so, you just have no choice but to do what you're told because the way they've set that whole program up is it runs through the master.

"That's why in my mind, I don't believe anyone will ever be Tier One with Chevy other than Hendrick because (they) control it. And so as long as you control it, you control how that information gets shared."

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver said he does not believe Richard Childress Racing receives the same level of information from Chevrolet as Hendrick. "It's a hard truth that not a lot of people are going to love, but it is the truth," Hamlin said. "And so to bring it all back, people like Ross, they have no choice but to just do what they are told.

"And unfortunately, superspeedway racing has gotten to that point, but the 5 car has earned his right to be the number one guy that everyone else has to look out for, even if you're not actually associated in the same race team as he is."