Lando Norris Leads Oscar Piastri in Brazilian Practice Session
The British driver has outperformed Oscar Piastri at each of the previous five race weekends.
Lando Norris just pipped fellow driver and title rival Oscar Piastri for the fastest time in the closing stages of the practice session at the Brazilian Grand Prix.
The British racer, who seized the championship lead from his teammate by one point after his victory in Mexico City a fortnight back, topped the Australian by a mere 0.023s.
Earlier in the session, Piastri had been the quickest of the McLaren pair during the running before the sprint shootout due at the evening session.
Max Verstappen, the other racer in the points battle, sitting 36 points behind Norris, finished in 17th place as his Red Bull team ran a alternative strategy.
Verstappen's team-mate the Japanese driver was the sole competitor to go off, albeit lightly, when he spun at corner four during the early running.
Tsunoda spun out over the exit kerbs before sliding over the gravel trap, and was blessed to get away with just a minor contact of the barrier.
Ferrari's the seven-time champion also lost it, at the final moments of the session, rotating twice through the fast downhill Mergulho turn approaching the final bend on to the pit straight.
The veteran ended the session in 19th place, just behind team-mate the Monegasque driver.
The McLaren drivers were far ahead of the other competitors, with Nico Hulkenberg's car in third, 0.619 seconds off Piastri's pace.
The Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso was in fourth, with the Sauber of Gabriel Bortoleto in front of the Mercedes of George Russell and the Alpine of Gasly and Williams' Sainz.
