Whether it's the financial and technical shot in the arm courtesy of Alfa Romeo, the obvious improvement from Ferrari's power unit or the recruitment of Monegasque hot-shot Charles Leclerc, the fact is that Sauber is no longer the 'also ran' that it was in times gone by.

Currently ninth in the standings, the Swiss outfit could yet finish eighth or even higher if the improvements witnessed in recent races continue after the summer break.

In three of the last five races, Leclerc has made it through to Q3, though a loose wheel at Silverstone and first lap accident damage in Hungary prevented the youngster fully capitalising on this.

Nonetheless, team boss Fred Vasseur is delighted, claiming that the Hinwil-based outfit is one of the most improved teams of the season.

"We are on a good path," he tells the official F1 website. "If you compare with the beginning of the season and the first part of the season - not only Melbourne - but I think we improved a lot, more than 1.5 percent compared to the front of the field. It's a huge step forward for us now.

"I know perfectly that the more you move forward the more the steps are difficult," he admits. "It's good to have expectation because it's the best way to put some pressure on the team to put some pressure on the guys, on the drivers, and this is the key point for the team."

Looking ahead, Vasseur is confident that the new aero regulations for 2019 will benefit his team.

"If all the other teams are continuing to push and develop it will be more and more difficult but we also know that the big gain for us will be more next year than this year," he says.

"Honestly, if we finish the championship eighth, ninth or seventh, it's not a huge difference. There's a huge change to the regulation next year, we have a great opportunity and we have to consider this as a real challenge."