Norris Leads Piastri in Brazilian Practice Session
Lando Norris has outperformed Oscar Piastri at each of the last five race weekends.
Lando Norris edged out fellow driver and championship contender Oscar Piastri for the top spot in the closing stages of the practice session at the Brazilian Grand Prix.
Norris, who grabbed the points lead from Piastri by just one point after taking the win in Mexico City recently, outpaced the Australian by a mere 0.023s.
Earlier in the session, Oscar Piastri had been the leading McLaren throughout the hour before sprint qualifying scheduled for the evening session.
Max Verstappen, the other racer in the championship fight, lying with a 36-point deficit Norris, ended up in P17 as his Red Bull team opted for a different programme.
Verstappen's team-mate the Japanese driver was the sole competitor to have an incident, albeit lightly, when he spun at corner four early in the session.
Tsunoda lost control over the exit kerbs before rotating through the gravel trap, and was fortunate to avoid just a light touch of the wall.
The Ferrari of Lewis Hamilton also spun, at the conclusion of the session, spinning around through the quick descending Mergulho corner approaching the last turn on to the start-finish straight.
The seven-time champion ended the session in P19, just behind team-mate Charles Leclerc.
Norris and Piastri were far ahead of the remaining drivers, with Nico Hulkenberg's Sauber third fastest, 0.619secs 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 Gasly and Williams' Carlos Sainz.
