Lando Norris Edges Out Oscar Piastri in Sao Paulo Practice
Lando Norris has beaten Oscar Piastri at all of the last five race weekends.
Lando Norris narrowly beat team-mate and championship contender Oscar Piastri for the top spot in the dying seconds of practice at the Brazilian Grand Prix.
Norris, who seized the title advantage from Piastri by one point after taking the win in the Mexican Grand Prix a fortnight back, beat the Melbourne-born driver by a mere 0.023s.
Before then, Oscar Piastri had been the quickest of the McLaren pair for most of the session before sprint qualifying due at the evening session.
The Red Bull star, the sole remaining contender in the championship fight, lying 36 points behind Norris, was classified in 17th place as his team opted for a different programme.
Verstappen's team-mate Yuki Tsunoda was the only driver to crash, though minor, when he spun at the fourth corner during the early running.
The Japanese slid over the track edges before rotating through the gravel trap, and was blessed to avoid just a slight brush of the fence.
The Ferrari of Lewis Hamilton also spun, at the conclusion of the practice, spinning around through the quick descending Mergulho corner before the last turn on to the start-finish straight.
Hamilton finished practice in P19, one place behind teammate the Monegasque driver.
Norris and Piastri were well clear of the other competitors, with Nico Hulkenberg's Sauber in third, 0.619 seconds off the Australian's time.
The Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso was fourth quickest, with Sauber's Bortoleto in front of Mercedes' George Russell and the Alpine of Gasly and the Williams of Carlos Sainz.
