A former speedway racer, Ryan left New Zealand for the UK in his late teens and joined McLaren as a mechanic.

He worked on the McLaren M23 of Jochen Mass and with James Hunt when he won the World Championship in 1976.

During his time with the team he worked with the likes of Formula One champions Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost, Niki Lauda, Mika Häkkinen and Lewis Hamilton and the team won 151 races, 12 Drivers' Championships and eight Constructors' Championships.

In November 2015, Ryan was appointed to the position of Racing Director of the Manor F1 Team which eventually folded in January 2017.

[2] He was present at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the final event of the season, working with the team.