MELBOURNE, Australia -- Just three days ahead of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, news broke that Charlie Whiting, the FIA's director of Formula One, had died at the age of 66 after suffering a pulmonary embolism.
Whiting was one of the most admired, respected and loved figures in motorsport. He served over 40 years working in Formula One, including 22 seasons as the sport's race director. In his role he oversaw all track activity during grand prix weekends as well as managing other safety and technical matters in the sport.
It didn't take long for tributes to flow in as drivers and team principals reacted to the tragic news and spoke of the legacy Whiting will leave behind.