‘Heartbeat’ of F1 beats no more
MELBOURNE: Charlie Whiting, who has died suddenly aged 66, was much more than his title of FIA race director suggests — he was the heartbeat of Formula One for decades.
From enforcing bewildering technical regulations to solving driver disputes, ensuring track safety and smoothly handling the labyrinth of Formula One’s high-tech race systems, Whiting did it all without drama and usually with a smile.
According to FIA president Jean Todt, Whiting, who leaves a wife and two children, was the “central and inimitable figure in Formula One who embodied the ethics and spirit of this fantastic sport.”
As the FIA Formula One director of racing, safety delegate and head of the sport’s technical department, Whiting was responsible for the logistics of each grand prix.
He had been in the Melbourne paddock on Wednesday to oversee this weekend’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix, but passed away after suffering a pulmonary embolism yesterday morning. Coming just a day before practice begins, Whiting’s sudden death hit especially hard.
He was a passionate pioneer of safety improvements, the most visible of which is the cockpit protection system — or halo — developed by Whiting after the fatal crash involving Jules Bianchi in the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix.
The device was widely attributed with saving the life of Charles Leclerc at last year’s Belgian Grand Prix.
Englishman Whiting spent more than half-a-century in the sport, starting at the age of 15 when he helped his brother Nick to prepare saloon cars for racing in West Kingsdown, Kent.
He entered Formula One in 1977 with Hesketh Racing and moved on to Ecclestone’s Brabham team.
He became chief mechanic for Nelson Piquet’s world championship wins in 1981 and 1983 and later was promoted by Brabham to chief engineer.
Whiting joined the governing body, the FIA, in 1988 as Formula One technical delegate, tasked with scrutineering the cars to ensure they complied with regulations. He became race director in 1997.
“Formula 1 has lost a faithful friend and a charismatic ambassador in Charlie,” said Todt.
“All my thoughts, those of the FIA and entire motor sport community go out to his family, friends, and all Formula One lovers.”