Sauber chiefs upbeat that team's podium in Malaysia will provide a financial boost

The Swiss outfit is one of several teams on the grid that is facing a tough time on the money front, with sponsorship currently hard to come by and costs in F1 still very high.

But with talks having taken place with a number of potential partners over the past few months, team owner Peter Sauber and CEO Monisha Kaltenborn hope that Sergio Perez's near miss on victory will increase their chances of securing a much-needed deal.

"There are a lot of teams here that have financial problems," explained Sauber. "That is normal in this business. For sure good results, like the last one [in Australia] and this one, helps to find new partners."

When asked by AUTOSPORT if the second placed finish will help the team commercially, Kaltenborn said: "Of course it does. The best answer you can give about its capabilities is the performance on track, because that speaks for itself.

"We hope people see that now, and we hope it gives us a certain boost. But we have to take it race-by-race."

Kaltenborn added that it was one thing showing promise in winter testing, but another actually proving that its pace was real with a performance like Perez delivered in Sepang.

"This is extremely important because we are confident in ourselves," she explained. "We know what we have and we know our capabilities, but if you are still not bringing home the results, still not bringing home the points, then the efficiency is not right, and it can be disturbing in the team.

"You need that confidence; you need that stability. So to get this kind of result gives you the confidence and gives the team the confidence that what we are doing is the right way. It shows the world that we know what we are doing and we believe in this way."