Lando Norris Edges Out Piastri in Brazilian Practice Session
The British driver has outscored his teammate at each of the last five race weekends.
Lando Norris just pipped team-mate and title rival the Australian for the top spot in the dying seconds of practice at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
The British racer, who seized the title advantage from his teammate by just one point after winning in Mexico City a fortnight back, beat the Australian by a mere 0.023s.
Until that point, Oscar Piastri had been the quickest of the McLaren pair during the running before the sprint shootout due at the evening session.
The Red Bull star, the other racer in realistic title contention, sitting with a 36-point deficit behind Norris, was classified in 17th place as his team ran a different programme.
His teammate Yuki Tsunoda was the sole competitor to crash, if briefly, when he lost control at the fourth corner during the early running.
Tsunoda spun out over the exit kerbs before sliding over the gravel trap, and was blessed to avoid just a minor contact of the barrier.
The Ferrari of Lewis Hamilton also lost it, at the conclusion of the session, rotating twice through the fast downhill Mergulho turn leading to the final corner on to the pit straight.
The veteran finished practice in P19, just behind teammate Charles Leclerc.
The McLaren drivers were well clear of the remaining drivers, with the German's Sauber P3, 0.619secs off Piastri's pace.
Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso was fourth fastest, with Sauber's Bortoleto in front of Mercedes' George Russell and Alpine's Pierre Gasly and Williams' Sainz.
