Norris Edges Out Piastri in Sao Paulo Practice
Lando Norris has outperformed Oscar Piastri at each of the previous five race weekends.
Lando Norris narrowly beat team-mate 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 took the championship lead from his teammate by just one point after his victory in the Mexican Grand Prix recently, outpaced the Melbourne-born driver by 0.023 seconds.
Until that point, 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, trailing 36 points behind Norris, was classified in P17 as his team opted for a unique setup.
Verstappen's team-mate Yuki Tsunoda was the sole competitor to have an incident, though minor, when he rotated at Turn Four early in the session.
Tsunoda lost control over the curbs on exit before rotating through the escape zone, and was fortunate to avoid just a light touch of the wall.
The Ferrari of Lewis Hamilton also spun, at the conclusion of the practice, turning around through the fast downhill corner approaching the last turn on to the main straight.
Hamilton ended the session in 19th place, one place behind team-mate the Monegasque driver.
Norris and Piastri were far ahead of the remaining drivers, with Nico Hulkenberg's Sauber in third, 0.619 seconds off Piastri's pace.
Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso was fourth quickest, with Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto fifth from Mercedes' George Russell and the Alpine of Gasly and the Williams of Carlos Sainz.
