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A statement from the FIA confirmed that the Briton died of a pulmonary embolism in Melbourne on the eve of the weekend of the Australian Grand Prix.
Jean Todt, president of the FIA, said: "It is with great sadness that I learned of Charlie's death.
Charlie Whiting was a great race director, a central and inimitable figure of Formula One who epitomized the ethics and spirit of this fantastic sport.
"Formula 1 has lost a faithful friend and a charismatic ambassador to Charlie. All my thoughts, those of the FIA and the entire motor sport community go to his family, his friends and all Formula 1 lovers. "
Whiting first worked in Formula 1 for Hesketh Racing in 1977, but was best known for climbing the ranks at Brabham to become chief mechanic.
He played a key role in helping Nelson Piquet at the drivers' world championship in 1981 and 1983 and will remain on the team until he is sold by owner Bernie Ecclestone in 1988.
He then became the FIA technical delegate, with the blessing of Ecclestone, and then became the FIA's director and safety delegate from 1997.
Her role included overseeing track and car safety, technical and procedural issues on grand prix weekends, and starting the race herself.
Whiting was instrumental in improving safety standards in F1 and played a leading role in the introduction of the halo early last year – which would have saved the life of Charles Leclerc after his fall at the Grand Prix from Belgium.
Speaking last year, Whiting said that a number of technical advances had helped make the F1 safer and allow Leclerc to go away.
"I agree with the introduction of the halo and that played a role, but we must not forget over the years all the much less visible things that have been done to improve the safety of the survival cell, side impact structures, the survival cell itself, the high sides of the cockpit, the head restraint, "he said.
"All these things have been done gradually over the years and they also play a role in the results."
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