Norris Edges Out Oscar Piastri in Brazilian Practice
Lando Norris has outscored Oscar Piastri at each of the past five grands prix.
The McLaren driver just pipped fellow driver and title rival the Australian for the quickest lap in the final moments of practice at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
Norris, who grabbed the points lead from his teammate by just one point after his victory in Mexico City recently, beat the Melbourne-born driver by 0.023 seconds.
Earlier in the session, Piastri had been the leading McLaren during the running before sprint qualifying due at 6:30 PM GMT.
The Red Bull star, the sole remaining contender in the points battle, lying 36 points behind Norris, finished in P17 as his Red Bull team opted for a alternative strategy.
His teammate the Japanese driver was the only driver to have an incident, albeit lightly, when he lost control at corner four soon after starting.
The Japanese lost control over the track edges before spinning across the run-off area, and was lucky to escape with just a minor contact of the barrier.
The Ferrari of the seven-time champion also had a spin, at the very end of the practice, turning around through the high-speed Mergulho corner approaching the final bend on to the pit straight.
Hamilton finished practice in 19th, one place behind team-mate Charles Leclerc.
Norris and Piastri were well clear of the other competitors, with Nico Hulkenberg's Sauber third fastest, 0.619 seconds slower than Piastri's best.
Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso was fourth quickest, with Sauber's Bortoleto in front of the Mercedes of George Russell and the Alpine of Pierre Gasly and Williams' Sainz.