Carlos Sainz has one of the most enviable garages in Formula 1, including a Ferrari 812 Competizione and the ultra-rare Daytona SP3. But when it comes to navigating the winding, narrow streets of Monte Carlo on a regular day, the Williams driver has made a rather different choice: a customised Fiat Topolino electric quadricycle.
The Smallest Car in the Most Glamorous Postcode
Sainz was recently spotted cruising through the principality in the compact, doorless two-seater, which cuts an unlikely figure against the backdrop of supercars and luxury SUVs that typically populate Monaco's streets. The Topolino, produced by Fiat as a lightweight urban mobility solution, has been customised for the Spaniard, adding a personal touch to what is otherwise one of the most modest vehicles you could park next to a Ferrari.
It is a choice that speaks to both practicality and personality. Monaco is famously difficult to navigate by car, its tight corners and narrow lanes making even a compact sports car feel oversized. The Topolino, with its capped top speed and minimal footprint, is arguably better suited to daily life in Monte Carlo than almost anything else Sainz owns.
What Exactly Is the Fiat Topolino?
The Fiat Topolino is not a conventional car in the traditional sense. It is an electric quadricycle, a vehicle category that sits below the standard passenger car classification in many European markets. Its restricted top speed means that in certain countries it can be driven without a full driving licence, making it accessible to younger riders and urban commuters alike.
The doorless design gives it an open, almost beach-buggy quality, which fits the relaxed coastal atmosphere of Monaco particularly well during the warmer months. It seats two passengers and is built around low-speed urban use rather than performance, sitting at the opposite end of the automotive spectrum from the machines Sainz pilots on race weekends.
The version spotted in Monte Carlo appears to have received bespoke customisation, though the specific details of those modifications have not been confirmed publicly.
Life After Ferrari in the Principality
The sighting carries a faint note of symbolism. Sainz spent four seasons at Ferrari, building a reputation as one of the most consistent and technically refined drivers on the grid. His partnership with Charles Leclerc produced some of the most competitive racing the Scuderia had seen in years, and his departure at the end of 2024 to make way for Lewis Hamilton was one of the defining storylines of last season's driver market.
Now racing for Williams in 2025, Sainz is in a new chapter. Monaco, where he is a long-term resident like many of his F1 peers, remains a constant. The principality's favourable tax environment and its central location in Europe make it the default home base for a significant portion of the Formula 1 paddock, and the annual Monaco Grand Prix transforms the streets Sainz commutes along into one of the most celebrated race circuits in the world.
There is something quietly amusing about the image of a driver who raced Ferraris for the Scuderia itself, and who still owns some of the brand's most exclusive road cars, choosing a tiny electric city vehicle for his morning errands. It is the kind of contrast that makes F1 drivers feel human.
Practical Sense Behind the Quirky Choice
Beyond the visual comedy of the moment, Sainz's Topolino habit reflects a broader truth about life in Monaco. The principality may be synonymous with wealth and excess, but its geography is unforgiving. Roads are narrow, traffic builds quickly around the harbour and the tunnel, and parking is a premium commodity even for those who can afford the most expensive cars on the planet.
For short trips through the city, a vehicle like the Topolino is genuinely more efficient than a supercar. It is easier to park, simpler to manoeuvre, and draws far less attention than a roaring V12. Whether Sainz chose it for those reasons, or simply because it suited his mood, the result is one of the more entertaining images to emerge from the paddock lifestyle beat this season.
Carlos Sainz may be focused on helping Williams rebuild its competitiveness in the 2025 Formula 1 season, but away from the circuit he is clearly not taking himself too seriously. The custom Fiat Topolino rolling through Monte Carlo is a small moment, but it is a charming one, a reminder that even drivers with world-class machinery at their disposal sometimes just want to get from A to B without the drama. With the Monaco Grand Prix returning to the calendar each May and turning those same streets into a temporary race circuit, there is a pleasing circularity to Sainz using them in the most understated way possible the rest of the year.