In 1980, Nelson Piquet won the F1 World Championship, leading more Brazilian drivers to aim for a European debut. One such driver was the up-and-coming Ayrton Senna da Silva, who had won the South American Karting Championship and was second in the World Karting Championship standings in 1979 and 1980. In 1981, Senna was introduced by Brazilian F1 driver Chico Serra to the British constructor Van Diemen, and gained entry into the Formula Ford 1600 (FF1600) series. Senna thrived in FF1600, winning 12 of the 20-race season to claim two titles, the ROC and Townsend Thoresen. There were already many Brazilian star drivers, and Senna, failing to secure a sponsor, returned to Brazil.

Unable to give up his dream, Senna negotiated with Van Diemen and returned to the U.K. just prior the start of the 1982 FF2000 season. He went on to claim the British and European titles, with 16 of 18 wins in the U.K., and six out of eight in Europe. After his year-long detour, Senna debuted in F3 from the prestigious West Surrey Racing team.

At the time, Martin Brundle, in his second year in the British F3 championship, was a strong contender for the title, having finished fourth in the previous year. Senna won the first nine rounds of the season, but Brundle had also accumulated points with eight second-place finishes and one third, setting the stage for a one-on-one battle between Brundle and Senna. In Round 10 at Silverstone, Brundle led, Senna crashed, and Brundle won. The tide changed drastically. As Senna frequently crashed, Brundle steadily accumulated wins and points. By the final round, Brundle had a one-point lead over Senna. In the decisive finale, Senna drove with a special setting that he and his engineers had devised, and gained outstanding speed. Senna won the race by far, claiming the series championship with an astounding 12 wins out of 20 races. At the Macau GP held at the end of the year, said to be the world F3 championship-deciding race, Senna won both heats, in front of the whole world. The following year, in 1984, Senna made his F1 debut with Tallman.