Ahead of the recent French Grand Prix, four-time F1® world champion Sebastian Vettel had the chance to pilot TT1 – affectionately nicknamed ‘Green Pea’ – around Circuit Paul Ricard, 100 years on from the storied car taking to the road circuit of Strasbourg for a 60-lap, 800 km race as one of two Aston Martin entries.
Aston Martin have shared with MotorMartin how the cars were built by founder Lionel Martin following a commission by wealthy young motor racing driver and pioneer Count Louis Zborowski. And it was the Count who invested £10,000 in the construction and development of an entirely new 16-valve twin overhead cam four-cylinder race engine. TT1 and TT2 were originally intended for the 1922 Isle of Man TT (Tourist Trophy) event, but a delay saw them instead make the marque’s international racing debut at the French Grand Prix on the 15 July 1922, with Zborowski piloting TT1.
Sebastian Vettel, Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula OneTM Team driver commented: “It was an incredible honour to drive this car, exactly 100 years on from it last taking to the starting line at the French Grand Prix. Green Pea holds a very special place in Aston Martin’s heritage, and you can almost feel that century of history beneath your fingertips when at the wheel. The racing spirit and will to win is something that defines Aston Martin, and it’s fantastic to celebrate it this weekend as we bring Green Pea and our heritage in motorsport together with the cutting-edge technology and performance of today’s AMR22 car.”
MotorMartin has been informed by Aston Martin that the first Aston Martin Grand Prix car, featuring a 1,486cc engine unit, was good for around 55bhp at 4,200 rpm. The car – built with a body conforming to the voiturette style – weighed in at 750kg, 45kg lighter than today’s AMR22 challenger. It had a top speed of 85mph and carried two seats, one off-set, as per the Grand Prix regulations of the time, to accommodate the riding mechanic who was an essential member of the team not least because of his job to pressurise the fuel tank via a hand pump.
The experience was said to be sufficiently exhilarating for the fledgling team, based at Abingdon Road, Kensington, to continue their Grand Prix adventure and blaze a trail for Aston Martin’s future success in international motor racing.