Lando Norris Leads Piastri in Sao Paulo Practice Session
Lando Norris has outperformed Oscar Piastri at each of the previous five grands prix.
The McLaren driver narrowly beat fellow driver and championship contender the Australian for the quickest lap in the closing stages of the practice session at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
Norris, who seized the championship lead from Piastri by a single point after taking the win in Mexico City recently, beat the Australian by 0.023 seconds.
Earlier in the session, Piastri had been the leading McLaren during the running before the sprint shootout set to begin at the evening session.
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 different programme.
His teammate Yuki Tsunoda was the only driver to go off, albeit lightly, when he spun at the fourth corner soon after starting.
The Japanese lost control over the curbs on exit before rotating through the escape zone, and was fortunate to get away with just a slight brush of the fence.
The Ferrari of Lewis Hamilton also spun, at the final moments of the practice, turning around through the high-speed Mergulho turn approaching the final corner on to the main straight.
Hamilton wrapped up in 19th, trailing team-mate the Monegasque driver.
Norris and Piastri were significantly quicker of the other competitors, with Nico Hulkenberg's car P3, over half a second slower than the Australian's time.
Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso was in fourth, with the Sauber of Gabriel Bortoleto in front of Mercedes' George Russell and Alpine's Pierre Gasly and the Williams of Carlos Sainz.
