Charlie Whiting is FIA Formula One Race Director, Safety Delegate, Permanent Starter and head of the F1 Technical Department, in which capacities he generally manages the logistics of each F1 Grand Prix, inspects cars in Parc Ferme before a race, enforces FIA rules, and controls the lights which start each race.

His first job was preparing his brother Nick in preparing saloon and rally cars near the Brands Hatch racing circuit in England. In the mid seventies the brothers were running at Surtees in the 1976 British F5000 series for race driver Divina Galica. For the 1977 season Whiting joined Hesketh Racing at Easton Neston, near Silverstone. Following the demise of the team, he joined Brabham at Weybridge, where he would stay for the following decade, becoming chief mechanic for the World Championship successes of 1981 and 1983 and later rising to chief engineer.

In 1988 he became Technical delegate to the FIA Formula 1 and in 1997 he was appointed FIA Race Director and Safety Delegate.