Lando Norris Tops Piastri in Brazilian Practice Session
Lando Norris has outperformed Oscar Piastri at all of the previous five race weekends.
Lando Norris edged out fellow driver and title rival Oscar Piastri for the quickest lap in the final moments of practice at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
The British racer, who seized the championship lead from Piastri by a single point after his victory in Mexico City recently, topped the Melbourne-born driver by 0.023 seconds.
Earlier in the session, Piastri had been the quickest of the McLaren pair during the running before sprint qualifying scheduled for the evening session.
The Red Bull star, the only other driver in the points battle, lying with a 36-point deficit behind Norris, ended up in P17 as his Red Bull team opted for a different programme.
His teammate the Japanese driver was the sole competitor to have an incident, albeit lightly, when he lost control at Turn Four during the early running.
The Japanese spun out over the exit kerbs before spinning across the gravel trap, and was lucky to avoid just a minor contact of the fence.
The Ferrari of Lewis Hamilton also lost it, at the very end of the session, turning around through the quick descending Mergulho corner approaching the final corner on to the pit straight.
The veteran finished practice in 19th, just behind team-mate the Monegasque driver.
The McLaren pair were far ahead of the remaining drivers, with Nico Hulkenberg's Sauber in third, over half a second off Piastri's best.
Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso was fourth quickest, with Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto ahead of Mercedes' Russell and the Alpine of Pierre Gasly and Williams' Sainz.
