Sauber boss Monisha Kaltenborn has suggested that her team face a challenge from backmarkers Manor and Formula 1 new boys Haas.
Haas will be running Ferrari engines in their debut season, while perennial backmarkers Manor will switch to Mercedes power units from 2016.
However, Kaltenborn is hoping to maximise the Swiss constructor's full potential and not lose any ground in the process.
"I am, in principle, happy because we have, in many ways, come back to where we usually are, but I think there is more potential there which we have to utilise next year, so I'm not totally happy," Kaltenborn is quoted by F1i as saying.
"We have Manor coming in with a new tie-up, and we have a new team coming in which, we learned from the media, has had intensive co-operation with another team, so it's going to be very tough to score a point.
"I think you'll really have to do that on your own because a lot will have to go wrong [for others] for you to be there and score a point."
Sauber are currently eighth in the constructors' standings.
