Norris Leads Oscar Piastri in Sao Paulo Practice Session
Lando Norris has beaten Oscar Piastri at each of the past five grands prix.
The McLaren driver narrowly beat team-mate and title rival Oscar Piastri for the top spot in the dying seconds of the practice session at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
The British racer, who grabbed the championship lead from Piastri by one point after taking the win in Mexico City recently, topped the Australian by a mere 0.023s.
Until that point, Oscar 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, trailing 36 points behind Norris, was classified in 17th place as his Red Bull team followed a alternative strategy.
His teammate Yuki Tsunoda was the sole competitor to crash, though minor, when he spun at the fourth corner during the early running.
The Japanese spun out over the track edges before spinning across the gravel trap, and was lucky to avoid 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 turn before the final corner on to the start-finish straight.
The veteran finished practice in 19th place, just behind team-mate Charles Leclerc.
The McLaren pair were significantly quicker of the other competitors, with Nico Hulkenberg's car P3, 0.619 seconds off the Australian's time.
Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso was in fourth, with Sauber's Bortoleto in front of Mercedes' Russell and the Alpine of Gasly and Williams' Sainz.
