I was halfway through writing a predictions post when I heard the news about Charlie. And he is absolutely worthy of his own post rather than any kind of footnote.
Charlie Whiting has been a name synonymous with the sport throughout my time following it. Growing up, I remember classing him, along with Professor Sid Watkins and of course Bernie Ecclestone, as the ‘important grey-haired men’.
He started in the sport over 40 years ago as an engineer at Hesketh Racing, before becoming chief mechanic for Nelson Piquet during his title-winnings years of 1981 and 1983 and then moving into various roles within the governing body – culminating in his most famous, long-term position as Race Director.
Jake Humphrey shared a touching story about his first day in the F1 paddock – Charlie had come over and introduced himself, whilst reassuring him that ‘this place is known as the piranha club…but it’s also a family’. Bernie was probably the godfather of that family, but Charlie was the dad.
You can hear that in the hundreds of radio messages every season, if not race, where the drivers will address him by his first name, whatever the situation.. In the few behind-the-scenes clips of driver briefings that we outsiders get to see, the respect that every driver had for him was plainly obvious.
For this to have happened on the very eve of a new season is particularly shocking and his absence will overshadow the weekend, along with leaving a giant hole in the sport in general. The show will go on, but it won’t be quite the same.
I’d like to think he can now join Professor Sid and Ayrton Senna on that fishing trip in the sky.
Rest In Peace, Charlie.
