Lando Norris Edges Out Oscar Piastri in Sao Paulo Practice Session
Lando Norris has outperformed Oscar Piastri at all of the previous five grands prix.
The McLaren driver narrowly beat team-mate and championship contender the Australian for the top spot in the closing stages of the practice session at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
The British racer, who grabbed the championship lead from his teammate by a single point after winning in the Mexican Grand Prix recently, topped the Melbourne-born driver by 0.023 seconds.
Until that point, Piastri had been the fastest McLaren driver throughout the hour before the sprint shootout due at the evening session.
The Red Bull star, the other racer in the championship fight, lying 36 points behind Norris, ended up in 17th position as his Red Bull team ran a unique setup.
Verstappen's team-mate the Japanese driver was the sole competitor to go off, albeit lightly, when he lost control at Turn Four soon after starting.
Tsunoda slid over the exit kerbs before rotating through the run-off area, and was blessed to get away with just a light touch of the barrier.
Ferrari's the seven-time champion also spun, at the very end of the practice, rotating twice through the fast downhill Mergulho corner before the final corner on to the start-finish straight.
The seven-time champion ended the session in 19th, trailing team-mate Charles Leclerc.
The McLaren drivers were far ahead of the remaining drivers, with the German's Sauber in third, 0.619 seconds behind Piastri's best.
The Aston Martin of the Spanish driver was fourth fastest, with Sauber's Bortoleto ahead of Mercedes' Russell and the Alpine of Gasly and Williams' Carlos Sainz.
