Editing Ayrton Senna (section)

==Junior racing career==
===Karting===
[[File:Ayrton Senna Karting.jpg|thumb|left|Senna began [[kart racing]] at 13.]]

Senna's first [[go-kart]] was built by his father, who operated an automotive factory,  using a small 1 [[Horsepower|hp]] lawnmower engine.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thecinemaholic.com/silva-auto-parts/|title=Silva Auto Parts Factory: Did It Exist? Where is it Located? Is it Still Operational?|date=29 November 2024|access-date=29 November 2024|first=Kriti|last=Mehrotra|website=TheCinemaholic}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://silodrome.com/ayrton-sennas-last-kart/|title=Ayrton Senna's Last Kart – He Drove It 6 Weeks Before His Death|date=20 August 2018|access-date=29 November 2024|first=Ben|last=Branch|website=Silodrome}}</ref> Senna started racing at [[Autódromo José Carlos Pace|Interlagos]] and entered his first [[kart racing]] competition at the age of 13.<ref name="video">"Ayrton Senna – The Right to Win (2004)</ref>{{Page needed|date=April 2023|time=yes}} He started his debut race on [[pole position]], against drivers who were several years older than him; he managed to lead most of the race before retiring after colliding with an opponent. His father supported him throughout his karting career, with Lucio Pascal Gascon becoming his manager.<ref>''Ayrton Senna: Racing in My Blood, Official Video Biography'' (Kultur Video, 1991).</ref>{{Page needed|date=April 2023|time=yes}}

Senna won the South American Kart Championship in 1977. He contested the [[Karting World Championship]] five times from 1978 to 1982, finishing runner-up in 1979 and 1980.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.motorsportsetc.com/info/senna.htm|title=Ayrton Senna – Racing Career|publisher=MotorSports Etc|access-date=12 May 2008|archive-date=25 September 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100925225713/http://www.motorsportsetc.com/info/senna.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> From 1978 to 1980, he was the teammate and rival of [[Terry Fullerton]] at DAP; their fierce rivalry saw several [[Glossary of motorsport terms#0–9|1–2 finishes]] in [[List of kart racing championships|major competitions]]. Senna later stated that Fullerton was the rival he got the most satisfaction racing against, owing to the lack of money and politics at that level, describing it as "pure racing".<ref name="asenna">{{cite news |last=Calkin |first=Jessamy |date=20 May 2011 |title=Senna: the driver who lit up Formula One |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/8524259/Senna-the-driver-who-lit-up-Formula-One.html |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/8524259/Senna-the-driver-who-lit-up-Formula-One.html |archive-date=10 January 2022 |access-date=15 August 2012 |newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]] |location=[[London]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

===Lower formulae===
[[File:Ayrton Senna Beginning - Formula Ford 1981, Van Diemen.jpg |thumb|Senna won the 1981 [[British Formula Ford Championship]] with [[Van Diemen]].|left]]

In 1981, Senna moved to [[Eaton, Norfolk|Eaton]], a suburb of [[Norwich]] in England,<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Hayes |first1=Paul |last2=Applegate |first2=Zoe |date=May 4, 2014 |title=Ayrton Senna: Racing legend's Norwich years |work=[[BBC News]] |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-27241760 |access-date=17 April 2021 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210417172454/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-27241760 |archive-date=17 April 2021}}</ref> to pursue an [[open-wheel racing]] career; he began his career in [[Formula Ford]] 1600, winning the [[British Formula Ford Championship|British]] and [[Townsend Thoresen]] Championships that year with [[Van Diemen]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Barlow |first=Jason |title=Ayrton Senna's early days: five moments from five people |url=https://www.topgear.com/car-news/motorsport/ayrton-sennas-early-days-five-moments-five-people |access-date=2024-06-03 |website=BBC TopGear |archive-date=3 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240603204858/https://www.topgear.com/car-news/motorsport/ayrton-sennas-early-days-five-moments-five-people |url-status=live }}</ref> amid a fractious rivalry with teammate [[Enrique Mansilla]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.the-race.com/single-seater-open-wheel/enrique-mansilla-quique-war-kidnap-ayrton-senna/|title=Motorsport's forgotten talent who survived war, kidnap and Senna|website=The Race|date=25 December 2023|access-date=29 November 2024|first=Sam|last=Smith}}</ref> Senna initially did not believe he would continue in motorsport.{{citation needed|date=November 2024}} 

At the end of that season, under pressure from his parents to take up a role in the family business, Senna announced his retirement from Formula Ford and returned to Brazil.<ref name="child" />{{Page needed|date=April 2023}}{{sfnp|Hilton|1999|pp=38–40}} Before leaving England, Senna was offered a drive with a two-litre Formula Ford team—Rushen Green Racing—for {{currency|10,000|GBP}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ayrton-senna.net/ayrton-senna-from-a-to-z/|title=Ayrton Senna: From A to Z|date=17 August 2014|access-date=29 November 2024|website=Ayrton Senna}}</ref> Back in Brazil, he decided to take this offer and returned to live in England.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gptoday.net/en/news/f1/246416/ayrton-senna-special-part-6-ayrton-senna-back-in-europe-a-glorious-year-in-formula-ford-2000|title=Ayrton Senna Special: Part 6 - Ayrton Senna back in Europe - A glorious year in Formula Ford 2000|date=3 April 2019|access-date=29 November 2024|website=GPToday|first=Fergal|last=Walsh}}</ref> As ''da Silva'' is the most common [[Brazilian name|Brazilian surname]], he adopted his maternal surname, ''Senna''.{{sfnp|Hilton|2005|pp=9, 33–43, 154}} For 1982, Senna arrived with sponsorship from Banerj and Pool,<ref name="child" />{{Page needed|date=April 2023}} dominating the British and European Championships, winning 15 of 17 races held at the former.<ref>{{cite news |date=30 April 2008 |title=From the Vault: F1 is robbed one of its most dazzling talents |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2008/apr/30/formulaone |access-date=30 April 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080505113059/http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/apr/30/formulaone |archive-date=5 May 2008 |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |location=[[London]]}}</ref>

In [[1983 British Formula Three season|1983]], Senna drove in the [[British Formula 3 International Series|British Formula Three Championship]] for [[West Surrey Racing]]. He dominated the first half of the season until [[Martin Brundle]], driving a similar car for [[Jordan Grand Prix#Early history|Eddie Jordan Racing]], closed the gap in the second part of the championship. Senna won the title at the final round after a closely fought and, at times, contentious battle with Brundle.{{sfnp|Hilton|2004|pp=99–116}} In November that year, Senna also triumphed at the inaugural [[1983 Macau Grand Prix|Macau Formula Three Grand Prix]] with the [[Toyota]]-powered [[Theodore Racing Team]], owned by [[Teddy Yip (businessman)|Teddy Yip]].{{sfnp|Hilton|2005|pp=43–47, 154}}<ref>[[Greg Girard]], Ian Lambot, and Philip Newsome, ''Macau Grand Prix: The Road To Success'' (Watermark Surrey, 1998).</ref>{{Page needed|date=April 2023}} Senna was managed for most of his junior career by Armando Teixeira, who was assisted by Domingos Piedade.<ref name="Ayrton Senna'sportscar cameo">{{Cite news |last=Watkins |first=Gary |date=June 2006 |title=Ayrton Senna's sportscar cameo |website=[[Motor Sport (magazine)|Motor Sport]] |url=https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/june-2006/77/ayrton-senna |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210321092702/https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/june-2006/77/ayrton-senna |archive-date=21 March 2021 |accessdate=2022-08-16}}</ref>