Norris Edges Out Oscar Piastri in Brazilian Practice Session
The British driver has outperformed Oscar Piastri at each of the past five grands prix.
Lando Norris narrowly beat team-mate and championship contender Oscar Piastri for the top spot in the closing stages of practice at the Brazilian Grand Prix.
The British racer, who grabbed the title advantage from his teammate by a single point after winning in Mexico City two weeks ago, beat the Australian by a mere 0.023s.
Before then, Piastri had been the fastest McLaren driver throughout the hour before sprint qualifying scheduled for the evening session.
The Red Bull star, the sole remaining contender in the points battle, trailing 36 points behind Norris, finished in 17th position as his team opted for a alternative strategy.
His teammate Yuki Tsunoda was the only driver to go off, albeit lightly, when he spun at corner four during the early running.
The Japanese lost control over the track edges before spinning across the escape zone, and was blessed to escape with just a light touch of the wall.
Ferrari's the seven-time champion also had a spin, at the final moments of the session, turning around through the high-speed Mergulho corner leading to the final corner on to the pit straight.
The seven-time champion finished practice in 19th, one place behind team-mate Charles Leclerc.
The McLaren drivers were well clear of the remaining drivers, with the German's car in third, 0.619 seconds off Piastri's best.
The Aston Martin of the Spanish driver was in fourth, with Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto in front of Mercedes' Russell and the Alpine of Gasly and the Williams of Carlos Sainz.
