Norris Tops Piastri in Sao Paulo Practice
Lando Norris has beaten Oscar Piastri at each of the last five grands prix.
The McLaren driver edged out team-mate and championship contender Oscar Piastri for the fastest time in the dying seconds of the practice session at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
Norris, who seized the points lead from Piastri by just one point after winning in Mexico City recently, beat the Melbourne-born driver by 0.023 seconds.
Before then, Oscar Piastri had been the quickest of the McLaren pair for most of the session before sprint qualifying scheduled for 18:30 GMT.
Max Verstappen, the other racer in the championship fight, sitting with a 36-point deficit Norris, finished in P17 as his team ran a alternative strategy.
His teammate Yuki Tsunoda was the sole competitor to go off, albeit lightly, when he rotated at Turn Four during the early running.
Tsunoda spun out over the exit kerbs before rotating through the gravel trap, and was fortunate to avoid just a minor contact of the wall.
Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton also lost it, at the conclusion of the practice, turning around through the quick descending corner before the last turn on to the pit straight.
The seven-time champion ended the session in 19th place, one place behind team-mate the Monegasque driver.
The McLaren pair were far ahead of the remaining drivers, with the German's car third fastest, 0.619secs behind Piastri's pace.
Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso was in fourth, with the Sauber of Gabriel Bortoleto in front of Mercedes' Russell and Alpine's Gasly and the Williams of Carlos Sainz.
