Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina on March 17, 1952, Rinland studied mechanical engineering at Argentina's Universidad Nacional del Sur, graduating in 1978. His thesis was a vehicle suspension system mathematical model and computer simulation and the design of a F2 car as its application, his mentors were Prof. Jose Santamarina and Prof. Walter Daub. After two years working in Argentina's F2, he moved to England in 1980, where he soon found a job as a designer for PRS, a small Formula Ford constructor owned by Vic Holman, where he designed their Formula Ford 1600 and Formula Ford 2000 cars for the 1982 and 1983 seasons, with success in the UK, Europe and US. After a short spell working for Ron Tauranac at Ralt, Rinland was hired by the RAM F1 team in to work on the design team, first with Dave Kelly and in 1985 with Gustav Brunner where they produced the RAM 03. For , he moved on to Williams and was part of the design team of the very successful FW11, led by Patrick Head.