Gerard Lopez, chairman of the Lotus F1 Team, has said that the team's rather long-term target is to be a "contender" for the Formula One title by the 2015 season, suggesting that he sees a long road to the front for the squad.
The newly re-branded Lotus team have struggled to escape the midfield in recent seasons when they ran as Renault.
Although they secured two early podium finishes in the 2011 season, they slipped back throughout the season and ended a distant fifth in the constructors championship.
For 2012, the team has made sweeping changes, bringing in former world champion Kimi Raikkonen to spearhead their efforts to return to the front.
But Lopez appears to believe the process will not be a quick fix, saying that the team was targeting a title challenge within the next four seasons.
"Our efforts are concerted behind our objective to be a contender once more for the 2015-16 championships," He explained on Tuesday.
He added: "[We aim to] to continue the proud heritage of the 1994-95 and 2005-6 world championship titles achieved by Enstone.
"Our fight to return to the front of the grid is a continual process, and we are leaving no stone unturned."
Lopez was speaking after the team confirmed the signing of Thomas Mayer as their new chief operating officer from the start of the 2012 season.
Mayer's signing will see former COO Patrick Louis move up to become the team's chief executive officer, with both men set to work alongside team principal Eric Boullier throughout the new season.
"The contributions that Patrick Louis and Eric Boullier have made so far have been invaluable," Lopez went on.
"And we are now able to better focus their efforts through the addition of Thomas Mayer as chief operating officer."
He added: "Thomas comes to us with over 15 years' professional experience. He has an in-depth knowledge of running large operations incorporating production, logistics and organisational structuring."
Lotus are set to unveil their new 2012 car, to be called the E20, on their newly re-launched website on February 5th.
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