Lando Norris Tops Piastri in Brazilian Practice Session
Lando Norris has beaten Oscar Piastri at all of the last five race weekends.
Lando Norris edged out team-mate and championship contender Oscar Piastri for the fastest time in the closing stages of the practice session at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
Norris, who took the title advantage from his teammate by a single point after winning in the Mexican Grand Prix a fortnight back, topped the Australian by a mere 0.023s.
Before then, Piastri had been the fastest McLaren driver throughout the hour before the sprint shootout set to begin at 6:30 PM GMT.
The Red Bull star, the other racer in realistic title contention, trailing 36 points behind Norris, finished in 17th place as his Red Bull team ran a alternative strategy.
His teammate Yuki Tsunoda was the only driver to go off, if briefly, when he lost control at Turn Four during the early running.
Tsunoda slid over the exit kerbs before sliding over the gravel trap, and was lucky to avoid just a minor contact of the wall.
The Ferrari of Lewis Hamilton also lost it, at the final moments of the session, rotating twice through the quick descending Mergulho turn before the final corner on to the start-finish straight.
The veteran ended the session in 19th place, trailing teammate the Monegasque driver.
The McLaren drivers were far ahead of the remaining drivers, with Nico Hulkenberg's Sauber third fastest, 0.619secs off Piastri's best.
The Aston Martin of the Spanish driver was in fourth, with the Sauber of Bortoleto in front of the Mercedes of Russell and the Alpine of Pierre Gasly and Williams' Carlos Sainz.
