Norris Tops Piastri in Sao Paulo Practice
Lando Norris has beaten Oscar Piastri at all of the last five grands prix.
The McLaren driver just pipped fellow driver and title rival the Australian for the fastest time in the closing stages of the practice session at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
Norris, who seized the championship lead from Piastri by one point after winning in the Mexican Grand Prix two weeks ago, outpaced the Australian by a tiny margin of 0.023secs.
Until that point, Piastri had been the fastest McLaren driver throughout the hour before sprint qualifying due at 18:30 GMT.
Max Verstappen, the sole remaining contender in the points battle, sitting 36 points behind Norris, ended up in 17th position as his Red Bull team followed a alternative strategy.
His teammate the Japanese driver was the only driver to crash, if briefly, when he rotated at corner four during the early running.
The Japanese spun out over the track edges before sliding over the escape zone, and was lucky to escape with just a minor contact of the fence.
Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton also lost it, at the final moments of the session, rotating twice through the fast downhill Mergulho turn approaching the final bend on to the pit straight.
The veteran finished practice in P19, just behind teammate Charles Leclerc.
The McLaren pair were well clear of the other competitors, with Nico Hulkenberg's Sauber in third, over half a second behind the Australian's time.
Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso was in fourth, with Sauber's Bortoleto in front of the Mercedes of George Russell and the Alpine of Pierre Gasly and Williams' Carlos Sainz.
