Red Bull can be future high-flyers even if they have no hope of winning races this season, according to Briton David Coulthard.
"To expect them to win a Grand Prix is a pipe dream at this moment in time," said the Scot, winner of 13 races with Williams and McLaren, before his team gave their new car its track debut in southern Spain on Monday.
"But there is absolutely no reason why, with a clear strategy of investment, attracting the right people and having the right facilities, at some point in the future they cannot be competitive and racing for podiums," he told the Autosport website.
"It is the same way that for several seasons people did not take BAR seriously and suddenly they appeared as one of the strongest teams and finished second in the constructors' championship.
"Whether I will still be competing when that moment comes is a different matter but what I can do is play my part in building the foundations," added Coulthard, whose career looked to have stalled until Red Bull signed him in December.
The new Cosworth-powered RB1 is a modified version of the Jaguar R5 after Austrian energy drink brand Red Bull bought that team from Ford in November.
Coulthard is their only confirmed race driver, with Austrian Christian Klien and Italian Vitantonio Liuzzi vying for the second seat.
All three will test in Spain this week.
"The objectives are quite clear," team boss Christian Horner said. "We want to punch above our weight and grab opportunities as they present themselves.
"We'll be aggressive with strategy and try and optimise the very most out of what we have.
"But I've inherited a car and engine from a previous management and really this year will be putting in the foundations and implementing a structure for the future."
Horner said Cosworth, also sold by Ford, had done a great job considering the circumstances.
"Certainly the power of the engine looks respectable," he said. "Obviously reliability is going to be key this year...we will have a step forward on the engine half way through the year but they are competing against some very big opponents and its enormously difficult."
