Motorsport is a glamorous industry – on the surface, at least – but behind-the-scenes, myriad mechanics work tirelessly around-the-clock to keep the show on the road, taking care of ‘the dirty part that nobody sees’.
“I was not interested in something else,” Iona Hernández admits in the latest episode of ‘Beyond the Track’ – the FIA World Endurance Championship’s new YouTube docuseries – as she reflects on her lifelong passion.
Proton Competition endured a challenging campaign in the fiercely-contested LMGT3 category in 2025, peppered by promise – as evinced by a commanding front row Hyperpole lockout on the Ford Mustang’s home soil of COTA – but, a podium finish at Spa-Francorchamps aside, short on standout race results. As one of the team’s core band of mechanics, Hernández lived the highs-and-lows as much as anybody.
“It was a hard year,” she acknowledges. “Since the beginning of the season, we always try to improve and make things better. You start to see that the results are maybe coming and then because of one reason or another, they don’t come – it’s frustrating.”
The 24 Hours of Le Mans – the flagship event on the annual FIA WEC calendar – was a case in point, as an errant wheel sent Giammarco Levorato crashing out of contention in the #88 entry in only the fourth hour. “Everything was looking nice and smooth,” Hernández laments, adding that while anything can evidently happen in such a long race, after so much effort invested throughout the week, the final outcome was ‘still painful’.
Along with her colleagues, the Spaniard’s pre-race role comprises preparing the cars for scrutineering and conducting pit-stop practice, to ensure the crew is primed for any eventuality. “Everyone posts the picture when everything is ready,” she muses, “but it’s not like this.”
It is an intense environment, and while Hernández recognises that there is a good atmosphere within the team, working together week-in, week-out inevitably takes its toll, mentally as much as physically. “At the end, you love them but you hate them at the same time!” she jokes. “After three months with the same people, I say, just leave me alone!”
“It’s not a nine-to-five job, it’s a lifestyle,” concurs Global Director of Ford Performance, Mark Rushbrook, talking about the unstinting commitment required to work in the sport and the ‘passion and drive’ that the Blue Oval looks for in prospective employees. “You never really get a break, because there’s always something to do.
“It’s a family company, it’s a people company, and we don’t want to just come here to get the car on the track – that’s not what we’re about. We come here to win.”
Watch FIA WEC live or on-demand via the official FIA WEC TV app – your full-access pass to the FIA World Endurance Championship including the iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans. Don’t miss a moment. For further information, check out the app.
