Norris Leads Oscar Piastri in Brazilian Practice
Lando Norris has beaten Oscar Piastri at each of the last five grands prix.
Lando Norris just pipped fellow driver and title rival the Australian for the fastest time in the final moments of the practice session at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
Norris, who seized the championship lead from his teammate by just one point after winning in Mexico City a fortnight back, outpaced the Australian by 0.023 seconds.
Until that point, Piastri had been the fastest McLaren driver during the running before the sprint shootout due at 18:30 GMT.
Max Verstappen, the sole remaining contender in the points battle, trailing 36 points behind behind Norris, ended up in 17th place as his Red Bull team followed a alternative strategy.
His teammate Yuki Tsunoda was the sole competitor to crash, if briefly, when he rotated at the fourth corner early in the session.
The Japanese lost control over the track edges before sliding over the run-off area, and was blessed to get away with just a slight brush of the wall.
The Ferrari of the seven-time champion also had a spin, at the very end of the practice, turning around through the quick descending Mergulho turn leading to the final bend on to the start-finish straight.
Hamilton ended the session in 19th place, one place behind teammate the Monegasque driver.
Norris and Piastri were far ahead of the other competitors, with Nico Hulkenberg's car P3, over half a second behind Piastri's best.
Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso was fourth quickest, with Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto in front of the Mercedes of George Russell and the Alpine of Pierre Gasly and Williams' Carlos Sainz.
