Norris Edges Out Oscar Piastri in Brazilian Practice
Lando Norris has outperformed Oscar Piastri at each of the last five race weekends.
The McLaren driver just pipped team-mate and championship contender Oscar Piastri for the fastest time in the dying seconds of practice at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
Norris, who seized the points lead from his teammate by just one point after taking the win in Mexico City two weeks ago, beat 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 the sprint shootout due at the evening session.
The Red Bull star, the only other driver in realistic title contention, sitting 36 points behind behind Norris, was classified in 17th position as his Red Bull team ran a alternative strategy.
His teammate the Japanese driver was the sole competitor to crash, though minor, when he lost control at Turn Four during the early running.
The Japanese lost control over the curbs on exit before rotating through the escape zone, and was blessed to avoid just a minor contact of the barrier.
The Ferrari of the seven-time champion also had a spin, at the very end of the session, rotating twice through the high-speed Mergulho turn before the last turn on to the main straight.
The seven-time champion finished practice in P19, one place behind team-mate the Monegasque driver.
Norris and Piastri were well clear of the other competitors, with the German's Sauber P3, over half a second off Piastri's pace.
The Aston Martin of the Spanish driver was fourth quickest, with Sauber's Bortoleto in front of the Mercedes of George Russell and Alpine's Gasly and the Williams of Carlos Sainz.