Norris Edges Out Oscar Piastri in Sao Paulo Practice Session
The British driver has outperformed Oscar Piastri at each of the previous five race weekends.
The McLaren driver narrowly beat team-mate and title rival Oscar Piastri for the quickest lap in the dying seconds of the practice session at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
The British racer, who seized the championship lead from Piastri by just one point after taking the win in Mexico City recently, beat the Melbourne-born driver by 0.023 seconds.
Earlier in the session, Oscar Piastri had been the quickest of the McLaren pair for most of the session before sprint qualifying scheduled for 6:30 PM GMT.
Max Verstappen, the sole remaining contender in realistic title contention, lying 36 points behind Norris, was classified in 17th place as his team ran a alternative strategy.
His teammate the Japanese driver was the only driver to go off, albeit lightly, when he spun at corner four during the early running.
Tsunoda spun out over the exit kerbs before rotating through the run-off area, and was blessed to escape with just a minor contact of the wall.
Ferrari's the seven-time champion also lost it, at the conclusion of the practice, turning around through the quick descending Mergulho corner approaching the last turn on to the start-finish straight.
The veteran ended the session in 19th, trailing team-mate Charles Leclerc.
Norris and Piastri were far ahead of the other competitors, with the German's Sauber third fastest, over half a second off Piastri's pace.
The Aston Martin of the Spanish driver was in fourth, with the Sauber of Gabriel Bortoleto ahead of Mercedes' Russell and Alpine's Gasly and the Williams of Carlos Sainz.
