Today marks the 22nd anniversary of Michael Schumacher’s first podium finish in Formula 1 at the 1992 Mexican Grand Prix – a feat that he would go on to repeat a further 154 times across the next twenty years of his illustrious career.

The seven time world champion remains in a medically-induced coma following a skiing accident in December 2013, and is still in the wake-up phase as his sedation is reduced. The last official statement from his management said that he was showing “encouraging signs” in his battle back to health.

Back in 1992, the fresh-faced 23-year-old driver was entering his first full season in Formula 1 following a handful of races with Benetton in 1991. The Italian team had retained him for 1992 alongside Britain’s Martin Brundle, and had high hopes for the new sensation.

At the opening round of the season in South Africa, Schumacher finished in fourth place behind the all-conquering Williams and McLaren’s Ayrton Senna, but he wasted little time in breaking into the top three.

At the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez – which is planning to make a return to Formula 1 in 2015 – Schumacher qualified in third place behind Nigel Mansell and Riccardo Patrese of Williams, but over 1.3 seconds ahead of Brundle in fourth.

As was customary in 1992, the Williams drivers romped to a 1-2 finish, but Schumacher held his own to finish just nine seconds behind Patrese and cross the line in third place, and was just one of three drivers to finish on the same lap as winner Nigel Mansell.

From this moment on, it was clear that a new star had arrived in Formula 1. In the rest of the year, he claimed a further six podium finishes and one race win (pictured) to finish the championship in third place, rocking the F1 establishment by outscoring triple champion Ayrton Senna by three points.

The rest, as they say, is history. He won his first two titles with Benetton in 1994 and 1995 before moving to Ferrari, with whom he dominated the sport between 2000 and 2004 to claim five consecutive championships. He then retired in 2006, but returned to the sport with Mercedes in 2010 before finally hanging up his driving gloves at the end of the 2012 season.

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