Lando Norris Leads Piastri in Sao Paulo Practice
Lando Norris has outscored Oscar Piastri at each of the last five grands prix.
The McLaren driver just pipped team-mate and championship contender the Australian for the top spot in the final moments of practice at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
The British racer, who seized the championship lead from his teammate by a single point after taking the win in the Mexican Grand Prix recently, outpaced the Melbourne-born driver by a mere 0.023s.
Before then, Piastri had been the quickest of the McLaren pair throughout the hour before the sprint shootout due at 6:30 PM GMT.
Max Verstappen, the other racer in the championship fight, sitting 36 points Norris, ended up in 17th place as his team opted for a alternative strategy.
His teammate Yuki Tsunoda was the sole competitor to crash, if briefly, when he rotated at the fourth corner soon after starting.
Tsunoda slid over the track edges before rotating through the escape zone, and was blessed to avoid just a slight brush of the barrier.
The Ferrari of the seven-time champion also spun, at the final moments of the session, turning around through the quick descending Mergulho corner leading to the last turn on to the main straight.
The seven-time champion finished practice in 19th, just behind teammate Charles Leclerc.
The McLaren pair were well clear of the other competitors, with Nico Hulkenberg's Sauber P3, 0.619secs off Piastri's pace.
The Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso was fourth quickest, with the Sauber of Bortoleto fifth from the Mercedes of Russell and the Alpine of Gasly and Williams' Sainz.
