Van Diemen returns ahead of 50th anniversary

One of the most famous names in single-seater racing, Van Diemen, will be revived by ex-Formula 1 driver Ralph Firman Jr, who aims to continue the legacy established by his father.

Founded in 1973 by Ralph Firman Sr and Ross Ambrose, Van Diemen became a major force in the junior single-seater market over two decades, churning out winning machinery for formulas Ford, Renault, Vauxhall Jr, Formula 3, sports cars and more from its factory near Snetterton in Norfolk.

Now the brand – whose name is derived from Van Diemen’s Land, the former name for the island of Tasmania where Ambrose was born – is returning under the stewardship of Firman’s son, best known for his 2003 F1 season with Jordan.

Firman has partnered with ex-Pacific F1 boss Keith Wiggins and engineer Andy Thorby to help produce a new sports-racer, the RF350, which is planned to compete in the SCCA championship in America from next season. The 2023 season coincides with the marque’s 50th anniversary. Firman Sr, who famously mentored a young Ayrton Senna when he arrived in the UK from Brazil, is still involved with the company.

The new car is based on an FIA F3 chassis and has been designed to fit a range of engines.

“This has been going on for a while, said Firman Jr. “We started work in late 2020, when an exciting opportunity presented itself. We’ve designed what is essentially an FIA F3 chassis, which we would like to use for multiple purposes for racing championships and trackdays, to try and spread our net wide.”

The company eventually would like to get back to building more traditional single-seater machinery in the future.