Whitmarsh believes a rethink is needed about mirror rules in Formula 1

Hamilton claimed that he could not see Massa behind him as they ran into each other at the chicane at Suzuka.

And, on the back of a similar collision between Hamilton and Kamui Kobayashi in Belgium this year, rear view visibility could now be a big enough issue for action to be taken.

Whitmarsh says that big progress has been made in improving mirrors over the years, but he suggests that perhaps F1 teams should look at doing more.

"By comparison to the old school of 20 years ago, they are big," said Whitmarsh. "But in terms of vibration, probably we don't do enough.

"If you talk to any driver going along the straight, they are not great. Normally you will see them for picking out colour: 'there is a piece of colour behind me that means there is another car'. Maybe it is something we have to look at.

"I think Lewis was distracted at the time, he knew he had a puncture, and he knew he was nursing a car, so I think you can always have bigger mirrors, you can always have better mirrors, you can always have better positioned mirrors and you can always be more attentive to using mirrors. But it is one of those things."