Norris Edges Out Piastri in Sao Paulo Practice
The British driver has outperformed Oscar Piastri at each of the past five race weekends.
Lando Norris just pipped team-mate 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 seized the title advantage from Piastri by one point after winning in Mexico City a fortnight back, outpaced the Melbourne-born driver by a mere 0.023s.
Until that point, Piastri had been the quickest of the McLaren pair throughout the hour before the sprint shootout due at 6:30 PM GMT.
Max Verstappen, the other racer in the championship fight, sitting with a 36-point deficit behind Norris, was classified in 17th position as his team followed a alternative strategy.
His teammate Yuki Tsunoda was the sole competitor to go off, albeit lightly, when he rotated at the fourth corner during the early running.
The Japanese slid over the exit kerbs before spinning across the escape zone, and was blessed to avoid just a minor contact of the wall.
The Ferrari of Lewis Hamilton also spun, at the conclusion of the practice, rotating twice through the quick descending Mergulho corner leading to the last turn on to the main straight.
Hamilton wrapped up in P19, trailing team-mate the Monegasque driver.
The McLaren pair were far ahead of the other competitors, with the German's car in third, 0.619 seconds slower than Piastri's best.
The Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso was fourth fastest, with the Sauber of Gabriel Bortoleto ahead of Mercedes' Russell and Alpine's Gasly and Williams' Carlos Sainz.
