Lando Norris Tops Oscar Piastri in Sao Paulo Practice Session
The British driver has outscored Oscar Piastri at all of the previous five race weekends.
Lando Norris just pipped 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 points lead from his teammate by a single point after his victory in Mexico City recently, topped the Australian by a mere 0.023s.
Until that point, Piastri had been the fastest McLaren driver throughout the hour before sprint qualifying set to begin at 6:30 PM GMT.
Max Verstappen, the other racer in realistic title contention, sitting 36 points behind Norris, ended up in 17th position as his Red Bull team followed a different programme.
Verstappen's team-mate the Japanese driver was the only driver to have an incident, albeit lightly, when he rotated at corner four during the early running.
The Japanese slid over the track edges before spinning across the run-off area, and was fortunate to get away with just a slight brush of the barrier.
The Ferrari of the seven-time champion also lost it, at the final moments of the practice, rotating twice through the fast downhill Mergulho turn approaching the last turn on to the pit straight.
The seven-time champion ended the session in 19th, just behind teammate Charles Leclerc.
Norris and Piastri were significantly quicker of the remaining drivers, with Nico Hulkenberg's Sauber in third, 0.619 seconds slower than Piastri's pace.
Aston Martin's the Spanish driver was fourth quickest, with Sauber's Bortoleto in front of the Mercedes of Russell and Alpine's Pierre Gasly and Williams' Carlos Sainz.
