Lando Norris Leads Oscar Piastri in Sao Paulo Practice Session
Lando Norris has outperformed Oscar Piastri at all of the past five grands prix.
The McLaren driver edged out team-mate and title rival Oscar Piastri for the fastest time in the dying seconds of practice at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
Norris, who took the points lead from Piastri by just one point after taking the win in Mexico City recently, topped the Melbourne-born driver by 0.023 seconds.
Earlier in the session, Oscar Piastri had been the quickest of the McLaren pair during the running before sprint qualifying set to begin at the evening session.
The Red Bull star, the other racer in the championship fight, trailing with a 36-point deficit Norris, ended up in P17 as his Red Bull team ran a unique setup.
Verstappen's team-mate Yuki Tsunoda was the sole competitor to go off, if briefly, when he spun at Turn Four soon after starting.
The Japanese lost control over the curbs on exit before sliding over the gravel trap, and was blessed to escape with just a slight brush of the wall.
Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton also lost it, at the very end of the practice, turning around through the high-speed Mergulho turn before the final bend on to the start-finish straight.
The seven-time champion ended the session in 19th, just behind team-mate Charles Leclerc.
Norris and Piastri were well clear of the other competitors, with the German's Sauber in third, 0.619secs slower than Piastri's best.
The Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso was in fourth, with Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto ahead of Mercedes' George Russell and the Alpine of Gasly and the Williams of Sainz.
