Norris Edges Out Piastri in Sao Paulo Practice Session
The British driver has outscored his teammate at all of the past five grands prix.
Lando Norris just pipped fellow driver and title rival the Australian for the quickest lap in the final moments of practice at the Brazilian Grand Prix.
Norris, who grabbed the championship lead from Piastri by just one point after taking the win in Mexico City a fortnight back, beat the Melbourne-born driver by 0.023 seconds.
Until that point, Piastri had been the quickest of the McLaren pair for most of the session before the sprint shootout due at the evening session.
Max Verstappen, the other racer in the points battle, sitting 36 points behind Norris, was classified in 17th position as his team followed a different programme.
Verstappen's team-mate the Japanese driver was the sole competitor to crash, though minor, when he spun at Turn Four during the early running.
The Japanese lost control over the curbs on exit before rotating through the gravel trap, and was lucky to avoid just a light touch of the wall.
Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton also had a spin, at the final moments of the session, spinning around through the quick descending Mergulho corner before the last turn on to the pit straight.
Hamilton finished practice in 19th, just behind team-mate Charles Leclerc.
Norris and Piastri were significantly quicker of the rest of the field, with the German's car third fastest, over half a second slower than Piastri's pace.
Aston Martin's the Spanish driver was fourth fastest, with Sauber's Bortoleto in front of the Mercedes of George Russell and Alpine's Pierre Gasly and the Williams of Sainz.
