Norris Edges Out Oscar Piastri in Brazilian Practice Session
Lando Norris has outperformed Oscar Piastri at each of the previous five grands prix.
The McLaren driver just pipped fellow driver and championship contender Oscar Piastri for the quickest lap in the final moments of the practice session at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
Norris, who grabbed the points lead from his teammate by a single point after winning in Mexico City recently, topped the Melbourne-born driver by a mere 0.023s.
Until that point, Oscar Piastri had been the leading McLaren throughout the hour before the sprint shootout scheduled for 18:30 GMT.
Max Verstappen, the only other driver in the points battle, sitting 36 points behind Norris, finished in P17 as his team ran a different programme.
His teammate the Japanese driver was the sole competitor to crash, if briefly, when he lost control at the fourth corner early in the session.
The Japanese spun out over the exit kerbs before rotating through the escape zone, and was fortunate to get away with just a slight brush of the wall.
The Ferrari of the seven-time champion also had a spin, at the final moments of the session, turning around through the fast downhill Mergulho turn leading to the final bend on to the pit straight.
The veteran wrapped up in P19, just behind team-mate the Monegasque driver.
Norris and Piastri were far ahead of the other competitors, with Nico Hulkenberg's car P3, 0.619secs off the Australian's time.
Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso was fourth quickest, with the Sauber of Bortoleto ahead of the Mercedes of Russell and Alpine's Gasly and Williams' Sainz.
