Sergio Perez has brushed off suggestions that Racing Point’s 2020 car is a "pink Mercedes".
The Silverstone based team, seventh overall last year behind McLaren, Renault and Alpha Tauri, has instantly leapfrogged to the very top of the midfield with a car that looks strikingly like the 2019 Mercedes.
"I don’t care if they say it’s a pink Mercedes," team driver Perez said in Barcelona.
"As long as it works like the car they’re comparing it to, that’s always good," he smiled.
"There is no doubt that all the teams have improved, but we will see in Melbourne where we are. But I think we will be competitive from the first race," added the Mexican.
Ferrari thinks the pink car could also give the red cars a run for their money in 2020.
"I believe they are at least close to us in speed," team boss Mattia Binotto said. "That is not too surprising when you look at the shape of their car.
"They pose a threat to us to some extent, but Ferrari is a strong team and we can develop a car well enough," he added.