Charlie Whiting, the FIA's director of Formula One and one of the most influential people in the sport, has died at the age of 66.
The FIA announced the news on Thursday morning, three days ahead of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on Sunday. The governing body confirmed Whiting died on Thursday morning as the result of a pulmonary embolism.
Whiting was a key part of the running of Formula One race weekends, overseeing the FIA's operation of all on-track sessions. He was not only responsible for the start procedure and running of grands prix, but also had a wide ranging role overseeing safety and technical matters relating to F1.