Fred Vasseur - Sauber's recently appointed new team principal - is aiming to move the Swiss outfit up the grid next season, with reasonable expectations.
Sauber almost permanently folded last summer, owing its survival to fresh capital being injected by new owners Longbow Finance.
But its management also found itself in flux recently following the departure of long-time team principal Monisha Kaltenborn who apparently found herself at odds with Longbow.
The arrival of Vasseur, Renault F1's former team boss, has now stabilized the Hinwill-based outfit's foundation, and prospects are looking much better.
"We have no ambition to beat Mercedes and Ferrari in the short term," Frenchman Vasseur told the French publication Auto Hebdo.
"But we do need to catch up with the private teams as soon as possible, such as Williams and Force India. It is necessary to be in the fight for the podium."
Vasseur said Sauber's strategy for the medium-term is therefore no longer mere survival.
"Before joining Sauber I had to make sure the team has the resources and the ambitions," he said.
"It will be difficult to achieve something in the short term, but I think the basics are there," Vasseur continued.
"Compared to other teams, the facility is impressive, the wind tunnel is a good one, and I think the team spirit is comparable to what I saw last year in Enstone.
"Now that the financial structure is stabilised I think we can have some hope for the future."
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