During 2020 Formula One pre-season testing the car was nicknamed the "Pink Mercedes" and the team "Tracing Point" due to RP20's apparent resemblance to the championship-winning Mercedes AMG F1 W10 EQ Power+ used by Mercedes during . Racing Point's technical director Andrew Green stated that the car "shares some resemblances in some areas" but denied that there had been a transfer of designs between the teams. The design caused controversy amongst other teams, with McLaren CEO Zak Brown referring to the RP20 as "what appears to be last year's Mercedes" prior to the season opening Austrian Grand Prix.