Lando Norris Tops Oscar Piastri in Sao Paulo Practice
The British driver has outperformed Oscar Piastri at each of the past five race weekends.
The McLaren driver narrowly beat fellow driver and title rival Oscar Piastri for the fastest time in the dying seconds of the practice session at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
Norris, who took the points lead from his teammate by just one point after his victory in the Mexican Grand Prix a fortnight back, outpaced the Melbourne-born driver by a tiny margin of 0.023secs.
Until that point, Piastri had been the quickest of the McLaren pair throughout the hour before sprint qualifying due at 18:30 GMT.
Max Verstappen, the other racer in realistic title contention, sitting 36 points behind Norris, was classified in 17th position as his team followed a alternative strategy.
His teammate the Japanese driver was the only driver to go off, though minor, when he rotated at the fourth corner early in the session.
The Japanese lost control over the curbs on exit before sliding over the run-off area, and was blessed to get away with just a slight brush of the wall.
Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton also lost it, at the very end of the practice, rotating twice through the quick descending Mergulho turn before the last turn on to the main straight.
The seven-time champion wrapped up in P19, trailing teammate the Monegasque driver.
Norris and Piastri were far ahead of the other competitors, with the German's car in third, 0.619 seconds off Piastri's pace.
The Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso was fourth quickest, with Sauber's Bortoleto in front of Mercedes' George Russell and the Alpine of Pierre Gasly and Williams' Sainz.
