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His son,Mick Schumacher, now driving for Haas and making his own debut this weekend at a track that enjoys a reputation as a driver’s circuit,will ensure that attention is focussed on the anniversary.

I was one of those lucky ones to be trackside in the Ardennes Forest that August weekend when a virtually unknown 22-year-old German,who had been a member of the Mercedes Junior Driver Academy,was called up as a replacement by Irish team owner Eddie Jordan for his eponymous car.

Schumacher had come through a quality school,carving out a reputation for himself alongside Karl Wendlinger and Heinz Harald Frentzen as part of Mercedes junior line up of future stars.

But when he arrived at Spa for Friday practice he was still largely anonymous to all but the keenest of motor sport fans,with most observers expecting him to take time to get to know a circuit at which he had never driven in a car in which he had no race experience.

Mick Schumacher and his famous father Michael Schumacher.Credit:Archives

The way he had got the drive seemed,at that stage of proceedings,to be the most newsworthy thing about him.

Jordan’s French driverBertrand Gachot was unable to be in Belgium for one very good reason - he was in prison.

The Frenchman had,six months earlier got into an argument with a London taxi driver and sprayed him with tear gas. When the case finally came to trial he was astonished to be sentenced to nine months (later reduced) which left the Jordan seat vacant.

Schumacher’s management pounced,arranged a test drive in the UK at which Michael impressed and got the seat.

His name might have been unknown before,but after his first day in F1 everyone knew about this young German kid who really had something.

When Schumacher senior strapped in for qualifying he astonished grizzled veterans and starry-eyed fans alike by putting the car seventh on the 30 car (yes,there were far bigger fields in those more simple days) grid.

In the race itself he lasted barely a lap,but not before he had made a sensational getaway,passing Jean Alesi and former world championNelson Piquet to get into fifth position. Clutch problems on that opening lap brought his race to a premature end.

Michael Schumacher 20 years ago.Credit:Reuters

But he had made his mark and all the right people were impressed - none more than the bosses of the Benetton - Ford team,who poached him for the next race,arranging a swap with Jordan for their Brazilian driver Roberto Moreno.

Schumacher finished in the points (fifth) at Monza,cementing a relationship that would culminate in his first two world titles in 1994 and 1995.

Fair to say that I - and a group of Australian-based journalists who first encountered Schumacher at Spa - were never going to forget that meeting.

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