Norris Edges Out Oscar Piastri in Sao Paulo Practice
The British driver has beaten Oscar Piastri at all of the last five grands prix.
The McLaren driver edged out team-mate and title rival the Australian for the quickest lap in the closing stages of practice at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
The British racer, who took the title advantage from Piastri by just one point after winning in Mexico City a fortnight back, beat the Melbourne-born driver by a tiny margin of 0.023secs.
Earlier in the session, 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 only other driver in the championship fight, trailing 36 points behind Norris, was classified in 17th place as his Red Bull team ran a alternative strategy.
His teammate the Japanese driver was the only driver to crash, albeit lightly, when he spun at the fourth corner early in the session.
The Japanese slid over the curbs on exit before sliding over the run-off area, and was blessed to get away with just a slight brush of the barrier.
The Ferrari of the seven-time champion also had a spin, at the conclusion of the session, rotating twice through the fast downhill Mergulho turn before the final corner on to the start-finish straight.
The veteran wrapped up in 19th place, trailing team-mate the Monegasque driver.
Norris and Piastri were well clear of the rest of the field, with Nico Hulkenberg's Sauber in third, 0.619secs off the Australian's time.
Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso was in fourth, with Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto fifth from the Mercedes of Russell and the Alpine of Pierre Gasly and the Williams of Carlos Sainz.
