Lando Norris Leads Piastri in Sao Paulo Practice Session
The British driver has outperformed Oscar Piastri at each of the previous five race weekends.
Lando Norris edged out team-mate and title rival the Australian for the top spot in the dying seconds of the practice session at the Brazilian Grand Prix.
Norris, who grabbed the championship lead from his teammate by a single point after taking the win in the Mexican Grand Prix recently, outpaced the Australian by 0.023 seconds.
Before then, Oscar Piastri had been the leading McLaren throughout the hour before the sprint shootout scheduled for the evening session.
Max Verstappen, the only other driver in the points battle, lying 36 points Norris, ended up in P17 as his team opted for a different programme.
His teammate Yuki Tsunoda was the only driver to crash, though minor, when he rotated at corner four during the early running.
The Japanese lost control over the exit kerbs before rotating through the gravel trap, and was fortunate to escape with just a light touch of the wall.
Ferrari's the seven-time champion also spun, at the conclusion of the practice, turning around through the quick descending Mergulho corner approaching the final bend on to the start-finish straight.
The seven-time champion finished practice in P19, trailing team-mate the Monegasque driver.
The McLaren drivers were far ahead of the remaining drivers, with Nico Hulkenberg's Sauber third fastest, 0.619secs behind Piastri's pace.
Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso was fourth quickest, with Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto in front of the Mercedes of Russell and Alpine's Gasly and Williams' Carlos Sainz.
