Mat Coch writes:

After almost a year in the Formula One wilderness, engineer Chris Dyer looks set to make a return to the paddock in 2012.

The Australian was dumped from the Ferrari race team after it was decided he was responsible for the poor strategy call which effectively ended Fernando Alonso's hopes of the 2010 championship in Abu Dhabi.

"I think I had taken worse decisions in other races," he told Gazetta Dello Sport. "I've lived a difficult time, but these things happen in F1.

"I was offered a position that I didn't consider interesting, so I replied 'no, thanks'," he said. "I still live in Spezzano, near Maranello. At the moment I can't work for other teams anyway, and after all Italy has become my home. I've lived here for ten years."

Currently on gardening leave following his resignation from Ferrari, it's suggested Dyer could soon be packing his bags for Brackley, where he'd be reacquainted with former boss Ross Brawn at Mercedes. However the 42-year-old distanced himself from such suggestions by claiming that, despite having received several offers, he is not currently willing to discuss his future.

The suggestions are in keeping with Ross Brawn's admission that the team is looking to increase its head count as it tries to claw back ground on Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari. "It's always nice to do well with the smallest numbers possible, but there is the RRA limit. We're looking to move to that absolute limit," he admitted. "We're just looking at finding the optimum combination of how much money we spend outside the company, and how much we spend inside in terms of employing people. We've always had some headroom because we've never operated at the maximum, and we're looking to use some of that headroom for the future."

Joining Ferrari in 2001 Dyer became race engineer for Michael Schumacher in 2003 before going on to engineer Kimi Raikkonen. He was then promoted to chief track engineer in 2009 before being shunted to the Italian marque's GT programme in the fall out from the 2010 championship finale.