Ultimate confirms Armstrong departure.

The all-new Ultimate Motorsport team has announced that team principal Simon Armstrong is to step down from his role to focus on his engine development business, Ultimate Performance.

The former Ilmor Mercedes engineer was instrumental in the formation of the Ultimate outfit alongside team owner Barry Walsh and played a significant role in the early development of the new Mygale-Mercedes package, which scored points in only its second meeting thanks to Esteban Guerrieri and Michael Devaney.

The team was born less than seven months ago and set up at the Ultimate Performance headquarters in East Haddon but long-term expansion plans for the coupled with a desire to continue the development of an already successful engine business left Armstrong with a difficult decision to make.

"It is with great regret that I have decided to leave Ultimate Motorsport and step down as its team principal," Armstrong said. "The team will be moving to new premises in Sywell later this month and I have taken the difficult decision to leave at this point to concentrate once again on my own business, Ultimate Performance Limited, in East Haddon.

"It has been a fantastic experience creating a new team from nothing and working together with Mygale and everyone involved in getting Ultimate Motorsport to where it is today. The double points finish at Donington last weekend is testament to what has been achieved in the past six months and I am extremely proud of that.

"I have, however, also had the dilemma of running my own, young engine business and I have had to make a choice. The future of Ultimate Performance really requires my full commitment and this is what I shall be able give to it from now on."

Armstrong added that he believes that the team will continue to improve during the season ahead with the first points now on the board, and said he was looking forward to meeting up with his former colleagues at events later in the year.

"All of the people are now in place in the team, they are a fantastic group and well capable of taking things forward from here," he said. "To think that Barry and I only met for the first time on September 29th last year makes it even more incredible. I feel that I have done more than a year's work since then!

"I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to Barry Walsh, to all of the team and to all of those involved along the way. It really has been something! I have no doubt that further success will come and I look forward to sharing in their celebrations at one or two races later in the season."

Walsh will now take over Armstrong's role and responsibilities, although he admitted that it was a shame to lose someone of Armstrong's calibre from the team.

"The situation arose that Simon has commitments to running the engine business and his role with Ultimate Motorsport was having an effect on that," he said. "It is sensible that he concentrates on the success of his business, rather than taking on the commitment of working full-time with the team at the racetrack and the factory.

"It is a real shame for the team to lose his important input but we wish him all the best for the future. While he will no longer be directly involved with Ultimate Motorsport he will undoubtedly be staying closely in touch with us as we continue to establish ourselves on the motorsport ladder."