Motorcycling: Tearful Gardner bids farewell: Patrick Miles on the retirement of an illustrious former world motorcycling champion

THE champagne had an early opening in the Rothmans Honda trailer here yesterday but it was in order to toast a sad occasion. The team's great campaigner, Wayne Gardner, took the opportunity of the British Grand Prix to announce his retirement from a sport he has been instrumental in elevating to its present heights of international interest and success.

The Australian, who has won 17 grands prix for the Japanese team since his 500cc debut in 1983, emulated his former prime minister, and some other notable iron men of the Nineties, by breaking into tears when he tried to announce his reasons for quitting. The rumours had abounded since last weekend when the 32-year-old from Wollongong in New South Wales won his fourth Suzuka eight-hour race then said it would be his last.

It is common knowledge that the Honda team insist on their grand prix riders competing in the endurance race on Honda's own circuit so when Gardner made his future plans, or lack of them, known in Japan, it virtually pre- empted his announcement yesterday.

His wife, Donna, had arrived here early without his knowledge and was there to greet him before yesterday's press conference. It was an emotional moment for the down-to-earth Gardner, who won the world 500cc title in 1987 and placed second in 1986 and 1988.

The Rothmans Honda press officer announced to the expectant media that Gardner would retire after the final round of this year's championship, the South African Grand Prix at Kyalami on 6 September. When asked to elaborate, Gardner said, 'It's pretty hard . . . ' then started crying and tried to hand the microphone to Donna at his side.

A serious accident in the first grand prix of the year at Suzuka resulted in a badly broken leg for the former champion and a long period of convalescence. When he returned to the fray, two more crashes hastened his decision.

'When I broke my leg in Japan, I said 'Hey, what am I doing here?',' he said yesterday. 'I just decided it was pointless pushing on . . . ' Then his emotions muted his explanation yet again.

Gardner returned to form in the last grand prix at Magny- Cours, where he finished second, but the seeds of doubt had taken firm root. 'I asked myself was I enjoying this or not,' he said. 'And I was just not enjoying it like I used to. Enjoyment is the basis for it all . . . and I decided to give it a miss.

'My racing career took off in Britain and I had a lot of success here at Donington so it's nice to finish it here.'

Gardner's announcement has left the factory Honda team in a fragile state. The Australian is their only 500cc rider here as the world championship leader, Michael Doohan, is still recovering from the injuries he received in a practice accident during the Dutch Grand Prix at Assen. Gardner, his tunnel vision restored, recorded the second-fastest lap during yesterday's first qualifying session for tomorrow's race.

Eddie Lawson, four times the world champion, was quickest on a Cagiva at 1min 33.814sec and was the only rider to break the 1:34 mark.

Gardner, Kevin Schwantz, the winner here for the past three years, and Wayne Rainey, the reigning world champion, followed, all within four one-hundredths of a second of each other.

BRITISH GRAND PRIX (Donington) First qualifying times: 1 E Lawson (US) Cagiva 1min 33.814sec; 2 W Gardner (Aus) Honda 1.34.289; 3 K Schwantz (US) Suzuki 1.34.343; 4 W Rainey (US) Yamaha 1.34.572; 5 J Garriga (Sp) Yamaha 1.34.954; 6 N Mackenzie (GB) Yamaha 1.35.066; 7 J Kocinski (US) Yamaha 1.35.274; 8 C Fogarty (GB) Yamaha 1.35.491; 9 D Chandler (US) Suzuki 1.35.492 10 R Mamola (US) Yamaha 1.35.963.

(Photograph omitted)