Norris Edges Out Oscar Piastri in Sao Paulo Practice Session
Lando Norris has beaten Oscar Piastri at each of the last five race weekends.
Lando Norris just pipped team-mate and title rival the Australian for the quickest lap in the dying seconds of the practice session at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
The British racer, who seized the points lead from Piastri by a single point after winning in Mexico City a fortnight back, topped the Melbourne-born driver by 0.023 seconds.
Before then, Oscar Piastri had been the leading McLaren throughout the hour before sprint qualifying scheduled for 18:30 GMT.
The Red Bull star, the other racer in the points battle, lying with a 36-point deficit Norris, finished in 17th position as his team opted for a different programme.
His teammate Yuki Tsunoda was the only driver to go off, if briefly, when he lost control at corner four during the early running.
Tsunoda spun out over the track edges 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 lost it, at the very end of the practice, turning around through the quick descending Mergulho turn before the final corner on to the main straight.
The seven-time champion ended the session in 19th place, one place behind team-mate the Monegasque driver.
The McLaren pair were well clear of the remaining drivers, with the German's car in third, over half a second behind Piastri's pace.
Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso was in fourth, with the Sauber of Gabriel Bortoleto ahead of Mercedes' Russell and the Alpine of Pierre Gasly and Williams' Carlos Sainz.
