Ayrton Senna competed in three championships in Britain in The Formula Ford 1600 category in 1981, his first season in cars. Driving a Van Diemen RF80 he did one race in PGO Ferries championship. In the RAC and Townsend Thorosen series he drove a Van Damien RF81 and won both series. He did not compete in the end of the season Formula Ford Festival at Brads Hatch.