We went behind the visor with David Beckmann to discuss the design of his helmet and delve into the back story of where it all began. The Charouz racer discusses his bold design and explains the origin on the dragon that appears on the side.

“My helmet is obviously a little bit different to others on the grid, which is something that I wanted” said Beckmann. “The main section that stands out is the dragon on the side. Going back to my karting days, the dragon was on top of the helmet.

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“I was born in the year 2000 and that was the year of the dragon in Chinese Zodiac, which relates to the Chinese calendar. I have also got the word dragon written in Chinese on the helmet. I loved dragons as a child and wanted this represented on the helmet.

“It was in around 2011 when that first appeared, then in 2013 I moved it to the side and I think it sits a lot nicer there. We designed the dragon ourselves and it took it quite a while to get it right, but I am really pleased with it. In 2019, I made the dragon 3D and added a shadow effect on the edges, which really makes it stand out and come alive.

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“As well as the dragon I have the phrase "my destiny," written on the back. I added this because my destiny is motorsport. It’s my passion and I don't want to lose sight of my goal.

“I used a mixture of matte and chrome on the helmet and think they contract really nicely together. I have chrome gold lines that separate the two finishes, although you can only see this in the sun. There is also a glitter effect which really pops in the sunlight.

“My helmets are designed by JMD and I've been working with them for around 10 years now.”