Dave Ryan, the former McLaren sporting director who left the team in the wake of the Lewis Hamilton lying controversy at the start of 2009, is on the verge of a return to Formula 1 with Lotus Renault GP.
The New Zealander, who earned huge respect during his 35-year spell at McLaren, has traveled to the Brazilian Grand Prix with the team to take a look at the operation and consider whether there is an opportunity for him to join the squad properly. Team principal Eric Boullier said that the weekend would be spent with both Ryan and the outfit getting to know each other.
"He is a Genii [Lotus Renault owners] consultant," Boullier said. "I think he has valuable experience from McLaren, which can be a help for us. He is here to meet the team, meet us and see how things go."
When asked whether there was a possibility of Ryan joining the squad full time, Boullier said: "Maybe, but I don't know yet."