Lando Norris Leads Piastri in Brazilian Practice
The British driver has outperformed his teammate at all of the previous five race weekends.
Lando Norris edged out team-mate and championship contender Oscar Piastri for the top spot in the final moments of practice at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
Norris, who took the championship lead from his teammate by just one point after his victory in Mexico City two weeks ago, outpaced the Melbourne-born driver by 0.023 seconds.
Earlier in the session, Oscar Piastri had been the quickest of the McLaren pair throughout the hour before sprint qualifying scheduled for 18:30 GMT.
Max Verstappen, the only other driver in realistic title contention, sitting 36 points behind behind Norris, ended up in 17th place as his team followed a different programme.
Verstappen's team-mate the Japanese driver was the sole competitor to go off, if briefly, when he spun at corner four early in the session.
The Japanese spun out over the curbs on exit before rotating through the run-off area, and was blessed to avoid just a slight brush of the barrier.
The Ferrari of the seven-time champion also spun, at the very end of the session, rotating twice through the fast downhill Mergulho turn approaching the final corner on to the start-finish straight.
The seven-time champion ended the session in 19th place, one place behind team-mate Charles Leclerc.
The McLaren drivers were significantly quicker of the remaining drivers, with Nico Hulkenberg's Sauber in third, 0.619 seconds behind Piastri's best.
Aston Martin's the Spanish driver was fourth quickest, with Sauber's Bortoleto fifth from the Mercedes of George Russell and Alpine's Pierre Gasly and the Williams of Sainz.
