Lando Norris Tops Piastri in Brazilian Practice
The British driver has beaten Oscar Piastri at all of the previous five race weekends.
Lando Norris just pipped team-mate and championship contender Oscar Piastri for the fastest time in the closing stages of practice at the Brazilian Grand Prix.
Norris, who took the championship lead from his teammate by one point after taking the win in the Mexican Grand Prix two weeks ago, topped the Australian by a tiny margin of 0.023secs.
Until that point, Oscar Piastri had been the quickest of the McLaren pair for most of the session before the sprint shootout due at the evening session.
The Red Bull star, the sole remaining contender in the points battle, trailing with a 36-point deficit Norris, finished in 17th place as his Red Bull team ran a unique setup.
Verstappen's team-mate the Japanese driver was the only driver to go off, if briefly, when he lost control at corner four during the early running.
The Japanese spun out over the track edges before sliding over the gravel trap, and was blessed to escape with just a minor contact of the fence.
Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton also had a spin, at the conclusion of the practice, rotating twice through the fast downhill corner approaching the final corner on to the start-finish straight.
Hamilton ended the session in 19th place, one place behind teammate Charles Leclerc.
The McLaren pair were significantly quicker of the remaining drivers, with the German's car third fastest, 0.619secs off Piastri's pace.
The Aston Martin of the Spanish driver was fourth quickest, with Sauber's Bortoleto in front of the Mercedes of Russell and Alpine's Gasly and Williams' Sainz.
