Formula One is changing fast — and so is the way fans connect with it. At the centre of some of the most interesting moves in that space is Mohamed Shelbaya, CEO of Beverages for the Middle East & Africa. With PepsiCo stepping into a global partnership with the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, the focus is shifting from traditional sponsorships to something much more immersive: real experiences, engaging storytelling, and actually understanding what younger audiences want.

In our conversation, Shelbaya breaks down the thinking behind the partnership, what it really takes to speak to Gen Z and Gen Alpha, and how brands can create moments that feel genuine in a world moving at the speed of culture and innovation. From hydration science to fan-first activations and what is next, here is a closer look at how PepsiCo is reimagining fan engagement in modern F1.

— Mohamed, before we get into F1, I have to ask you a few questions about yourself — you were a professional basketball player. Wow. Tell me about that part of your life, please!

— Sure! It was during my school and university years that I played basketball for the Egyptian national team. It was fascinating because you learn a great deal about teams and team psychology — what it means to work toward a goal together, to win together, how you deal with losses as a team, and how you bring everyone behind a certain goal. It was a great experience.

I was fortunate to play in the Olympics, the World Cup, the Africa Championships, and the Arab Championships. You meet many different people and are exposed to different cultures early in your life, and it makes a significant difference — especially later on, when you think about how you manage teams and how you get people to collaborate behind one goal or one big idea. It was an amazing experience.

— That is exactly what I wanted to ask you next — how did basketball influence your work?

— A lot. When I entered the business world, I brought everything I had learned from sports. It shaped how I work with people — how you bring individuals together as a team, focus them on one goal, and motivate them to pursue it. You give people space to express their thoughts, but within a team context, where everyone wins or loses together and learns together. It is not an individual work environment; it is a team, and it becomes much more enjoyable because you allow people to express themselves and pursue their ideas. When their ideas fit into the overall strategy, you let them move forward with what they propose, and they often surprise you.

You have different layers of the organisation involved in that team — not only top management making decisions, but also middle management, lower management, and even the front line contributing. They all understand that we are in one boat and that our role is to reach the finish line together as a team, leaving no one behind.

These experiences had a strong impact on me when I was young, and now I apply them in how I lead my teams — and it works.

— I also noticed on your Instagram bio that you don’t take life too seriously. I love this approach! What does that mean for you as a CEO-level figure in a major company? Can you tell me more about that mindset?

— As CEO, you need to inspire people. You need to bring them closer to you. We live in very tough times in this region, whether from an economic or geopolitical standpoint, and everyone on the team faces different pressures. I want them to come to work happy and truly productive. Part of that comes from looking at their leader — he has to inspire hope, optimism, and a sense of fun.

When people are in an enjoyable environment, they relax despite everything happening around them. They become more productive, more creative, and more passionate about the brands and the company. That is the role of a leader: leading people.

Throughout my career, I have found that you always get more from the team when you create that kind of atmosphere. You smile, even in the toughest times. That smile represents hope. When things aren’t going our way, we learn. When they are, we celebrate. All of this builds a strong, productive team that loves what they do, loves coming to work, and ultimately loves the company.

At the end of the day, you also need to know that you are giving 101%. But you can’t take life too seriously, or you become unhappy. You need to have fun. You need to go out, spend time together as a team, and enjoy yourselves. All of this builds bridges, creates real impact, and ultimately makes the business much stronger.

— Now, let’s move to F1. Let’s start with values. When you collaborate or partner with someone, it is important to have a real match in terms of what you stand for. How would you describe the alignment between the values of PepsiCo and Mercedes?

— Definitely, when you go into a partnership, the culture, the values — everything has to align. And I think the biggest thing that PepsiCo and Mercedes share is a winning mentality. We are both very successful in our fields, but what matters is how you go about winning. It is the values, the principles, the innovation, the work ethic. When we looked at that, we found many similarities between the two companies, which indicates that this partnership will benefit both sides and take us to new levels.

When you enter a partnership, and the culture or ethics aren’t aligned, it doesn’t work. But from what I have seen, this is a great match. I believe each company will benefit the other, and together we will contribute positively to Formula One as a sport.

— Let’s talk about the brands involved in this partnership. There are three — Gatorade, Sting and Doritos — but since you are the CEO of beverages, let’s focus on the drinks. Why these two specifically? Why were Gatorade and Sting chosen for the partnership?

— This is a great combination of brands that fit what Mercedes and Formula One are all about. If you look at Gatorade, it is all about performance. The Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team wants to win, and they want to use science to help them win — and Gatorade, through our Gatorade Labs, has been hydrating athletes for 60 years. So there will be a partnership between the two teams to explore how we can better hydrate drivers. Drivers lose around 4 kilos of water through sweating because they sit in small cars in heat and humidity for long periods. If they are dehydrated, their performance is affected. So how can we ensure proper hydration? This takes the partnership to a completely new level.

When you talk about Sting, it is about the fan experience — how we bring the sport closer to fans. Social media and digital platforms play a big role. Sting will be the brand that energises the fan experience: providing behind-the-scenes clips, showing how our ambassadors go about their daily lives, and bringing consumers — especially in the Middle East — closer to the sport. And of course, there will be activations during the races.

We also had a surprise in Abu Dhabi — something we called the Sting “Podium to Park” experience. It was the first time anything like this had happened in the Middle East. After the race, fans were allowed onto the track. The entire track turned into a walkway leading to the park, where the Katy Perry concert took place.

Along the walk, there were Sting red laser lights, a DJ — Adam Port — playing music, and Gatorade energy drink samples to give fans an extra boost as they moved from the race to the concert. The aim was to make it a full experience. It was all filmed and shared on social media so fans around the world, especially in the Middle East, could see what was happening in Abu Dhabi.

— And when it comes to other activations, what exactly is Gatorade preparing? Can you give some specific examples?

— The partnership with Mercedes starts next year. At the moment, Gatorade’s Sports Science Institute is working with Mercedes to develop the right formula we can introduce to the drivers to enhance their performance.

But when it comes to Sting and Doritos, they will be everywhere — widely sampled and fully integrated.

And this is just the beginning. Next year, you will see many innovations, many activations, and a strong presence on social media as we launch the partnership with the Mercedes Formula One team.

— Now — the drivers. For this partnership, you chose one experienced driver and one fresh face — George Russell and Kimi Antonelli. Why these two?

— So, what PepsiCo, Formula One and Mercedes are trying to do is appeal to Gen Z and Gen Alpha. Formula One has 1.4 billion viewers today, and 40% of them are Gen Z. Another 40% are women. That is a wide and very young audience. When we did our work in the Middle East, we found the same demographics. It is a rich audience for us to engage with and an opportunity to connect with the younger generation.

This is why we chose these two drivers. One represents the present and one the future. Russell is an established driver with a strong track record and a huge following. Antonelli represents the future; he has just moved up the ranks and joined the Mercedes team. He is different, very active on social media, and already has a wide following.

When you put them together, there is a lot we can do to reach a broader audience. And there is a lot we can do with our brands to speak to Gen Z and Gen Alpha, who will be the future viewers of the sport.

— You mentioned Generation Alpha. Do you have any insights into this generation? What are they into? What captures their attention? Are there any patterns in their behaviour?

— That is a million-dollar question. If anyone manages to figure Gen Alpha out, they will be ahead of the whole world!

What we are trying to do is understand what they love and what they connect with. They are completely different from Gen Z. They are not difficult in a negative sense — they just have their own patterns, form their own opinions, and expect brands to engage with them in an authentic way. It is no longer about commercial messaging or trying to sell to them. It has to feel real and grounded in everyday life.

They care about the universe around them. From a young age, they talk about peace, the environment, and issues previous generations didn’t necessarily focus on. We are still navigating how to approach them. But one thing is clear: they like Formula One. Thanks to the Netflix series and films, the sport has become incredibly popular.

How we shape that experience for Gen Alpha is another question. What we are seeing now is a strong interest from both Gen Z and Gen Alpha — male and female — in Formula One. As we move forward, we will start testing different approaches and ideas to bring them closer to our brands and to the sport. In the end, it is a win-win relationship for Formula One, Mercedes, and PepsiCo.