Sauber boss Monisha Kaltenborn has admitted that she is "pleasantly surprised" by the improvement of the Ferrari engine from last season.
The Swiss-based constructor made a promising start to the season, with Felipe Nasr taking fifth place at the Australian Grand Prix and teammate Marcus Ericsson finishing eighth.
Kaltenborn believes that the extra performance of the Ferrari power unit has played a crucial role.
She is quoted by Autosport as saying: "The massive step just allows you to be in a position with the powertrain to score points and then to really grab the opportunity.
"Last year, we couldn't have even had the opportunity because we were that far away.
"That's the big difference to last year; to be, through your own strength, in a much better position, [it means] if opportunities open up you can take them."
Sauber finished 10th in the 2014 constructors' championship, failing to score a single point.
