In Pixar's Cars 3, who becomes the Piston Cup champion at the end?

In Pixar's Cars 3, Cruz Ramirez becomes the Piston Cup champion at the end.

Cruz begins the film as Lightning McQueen's trainer at the Rust-eze Racing Center. Although she has racing ability, she lacks confidence because her professional role has been defined by training others rather than competing in the main series.

After McQueen recognizes her talent, Cruz takes his place in the Florida 500. She defeats Jackson Storm and wins the race, becoming the new champion. McQueen then adopts the number 95 again while supporting Cruz as her mentor and partner.

The ending is sometimes summarized as McQueen retiring, but that is not exactly what happens. He changes roles within the team, while Cruz becomes its new active racer. This makes the conclusion about succession and shared mentorship rather than simply ending McQueen's career.