Lando Norris the OG as F1 rival ushers in ‘bucket hat era’

Lando Norris has claimed that he, not Valtteri Bottas, is the man behind the trend of F1 drivers wearing bucket hats in the latest hilarious instalment of Formula 1’s Grill the Grid YouTube series.

In the latest episode of the long-running series, drivers were shown a number of quotes by their fellow competitors and invited to guess the individual behind each comment.

“We’re here for the ***** bucket hat era,” was among the quotes presented for drivers to work out, with the light-hearted game prompting a bitter reaction from McLaren driver Norris.

While the likes of Bottas himself, Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz, Alex Albon, Pierre Gasly, Yuki Tsunoda and Nico Hulkenberg correctly guessed Bottas, Max Verstappen and Lance Stroll were among those to assume the quote belonged to Norris.

Norris was another to identify Bottas – but was quick to point out that he was the one to kickstart the trend some years ago with the Alfa Romeo driver merely taking it on.

“I mean, I’d say I was probably the first, but Bottas,” Norris remarked. “But I had the bucket hat years ago already, you know?”

Bucket hats have become the must-have accessory among F1 drivers in recent times, with Sainz pictured sporting one during the summer break having had his choice of headgear questioned by Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, himself something of a fashionista, at the Spanish Grand Prix in June.

The trend is not limited to F1 drivers too, with members of the Ben Stokes-led England cricket team frequently donning bucket hats during the recent Ashes series against Australia.

Meanwhile, Manchester United fans who attended the FA Cup Final at Wembley in June were gifted a free bucket hat to cheer on their team.

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Bucket hats have been popular since the Britpop era in the 1990s, but are said to have been around since 1900 when – originally made from wool, felt or tweed – they were traditionally worn by fishermen and Irish farmers. Indeed, bucket hats have also been known as “fishing hats” over the years.

They first came to prominence during the mod era in the early 1960s but have come back into popular fashion in 2023, with such names as Rihanna, Bella Hadid and Justin Bieber all seen in bucket hats this year alone.

Leading luxury brands including Mulberry, Prada and Chanel have joined the craze, selling bucket hats for eye-watering prices.

All we can say is roll on the end of the summer break…

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