Norris Tops Piastri in Brazilian Practice Session
Lando Norris has outscored his teammate at each of the last five race weekends.
Lando Norris edged out fellow driver and championship contender Oscar Piastri for the fastest time in the dying seconds of practice at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
Norris, who grabbed the championship lead from his teammate by a single point after taking the win in the Mexican Grand Prix two weeks ago, outpaced the Australian by 0.023 seconds.
Before then, Piastri had been the quickest of the McLaren pair for most of the session before the sprint shootout due at the evening session.
The Red Bull star, the sole remaining contender in the championship fight, lying with a 36-point deficit behind Norris, ended up in 17th position as his Red Bull team ran a unique setup.
His teammate the Japanese driver was the only driver to crash, if briefly, when he lost control at the fourth corner soon after starting.
The Japanese slid over the exit kerbs before rotating through the escape zone, and was blessed to escape 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, spinning around through the quick descending corner before the final bend on to the pit straight.
The seven-time champion wrapped up in 19th place, trailing teammate Charles Leclerc.
The McLaren pair were far ahead of the rest of the field, with the German's Sauber in third, over half a second behind the Australian's time.
The Aston Martin of the Spanish driver was in fourth, with Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto ahead of Mercedes' Russell and Alpine's Pierre Gasly and the Williams of Carlos Sainz.
