A century after its racing debut, the original Aston Martin Grand Prix car returned to the French Grand Prix for a lap of honor.
Aston Martin is celebrating the centenary of its first start at the 1922 French Grand Prix. No other current Formula 1 manufacturer can look back on such a long history in the premier class.
100 years of Grand Prix history
Ahead of the Grand Prix on July 24, 2022, four-time F1 World Champion Sebastian Vettel had the opportunity to pilot the TT1 - affectionately known as the 'Green Pea' - at the Circuit Paul Ricard, 100 years after the history-making car was one of two Aston Martin cars to start a 60-lap, 800km race on the Strasbourg street circuit.
The cars were built by company founder Lionel Martin on behalf of the wealthy young racing driver and pioneer Count Louis Zborowski, who invested £10,000 in their design and the development of an all-new 16-valve, four-cylinder racing engine with twin overhead camshafts.
The TT1 and TT2 were originally intended for the 1922 Isle of Man TT (Tourist Trophy), but due to a delay they instead made their international racing debut at the French Grand Prix on July 15, 1922, with Zborowski driving the TT1.
He later designed the "Chitty Bang Bang" car, which inspired the book, movie and stage musical Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang.
Vettel inspires
Sebastian Vettel, driver of the Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula OneTM team, said:
"It was an incredible honor to drive this car exactly 100 years after it last raced at the French Grand Prix. 'Green Pea' holds a very special place in Aston Martin's heritage, and behind the wheel you can literally feel that century of history under your fingertips."
Original logo from 1913
On the weekend of July 24, 2022, the Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One Team will compete with the original 1913 Aston Martin logo on the nose of its cars, in a nod to the brand depicted on Green Pea. The symbolic switch comes in the week that Aston Martin launches a new creative identity, including a contemporary update to its iconic wing logo, designed by the manufacturer's world-renowned design department in collaboration with renowned British art director and graphic designer Peter Saville. The new Aston Martin wings can be seen on the monocoque sides of the AMR22.
The first Aston Martin Grand Prix car had a 1486 cc engine that produced around 55 hp at 4200 rpm. The car - with a voiturette-style body - weighed 750 kg, making it 45 kg lighter than today's AMR22 Challenger. It reached a top speed of 85 miles per hour and had two seats, one of which was offset to accommodate the mechanic, who was an indispensable member of the team, not least because of his task of pressurizing the fuel tank with a hand pump, in accordance with Grand Prix regulations at the time.
The experience was enough for the young team, based at Abingdon Road in Kensington, to continue its Grand Prix adventure and pave the way for Aston Martin's future success in international motorsport.
