Norris Tops Piastri in Brazilian Practice Session
Lando Norris has beaten Oscar Piastri at each of the previous five race weekends.
Lando Norris just pipped team-mate and championship contender Oscar Piastri for the quickest lap in the closing stages of the practice session at the Brazilian Grand Prix.
The British racer, who took the championship lead from Piastri by a single point after winning in Mexico City recently, beat the Australian by a mere 0.023s.
Earlier in the session, Oscar Piastri had been the quickest of the McLaren pair for most of the session before sprint qualifying due at the evening session.
The Red Bull star, the only other driver in realistic title contention, trailing with a 36-point deficit Norris, was classified in 17th position as his team ran a alternative strategy.
His teammate Yuki Tsunoda was the only driver to crash, though minor, when he rotated at the fourth corner during the early running.
Tsunoda spun out over the exit kerbs before rotating through the gravel trap, and was blessed to get away with just a slight brush of the barrier.
The Ferrari of the seven-time champion also lost it, at the conclusion of the session, rotating twice through the fast downhill Mergulho corner leading to the final bend on to the start-finish straight.
The seven-time champion finished practice in P19, trailing teammate the Monegasque driver.
Norris and Piastri were well clear of the remaining drivers, with Nico Hulkenberg's Sauber third fastest, 0.619 seconds off Piastri's best.
Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso was in fourth, with Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto in front of Mercedes' Russell and the Alpine of Pierre Gasly and Williams' Carlos Sainz.
