Lando Norris Tops Oscar Piastri in Brazilian Practice Session
The British driver has outscored his teammate at each of the previous five grands prix.
Lando Norris just pipped team-mate and championship contender Oscar Piastri for the quickest lap in the dying seconds of practice at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
Norris, who seized the championship lead from his teammate by one point after winning in Mexico City two weeks ago, topped the Australian by a mere 0.023s.
Before then, Piastri had been the fastest McLaren driver throughout the hour 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 team opted for a alternative strategy.
Verstappen's team-mate Yuki Tsunoda was the only driver to have an incident, though minor, when he spun at the fourth corner during the early running.
The Japanese lost control over the curbs on exit before rotating through the gravel trap, and was lucky to avoid just a light touch of the barrier.
The Ferrari of Lewis Hamilton also spun, at the final moments of the session, rotating twice through the quick descending Mergulho corner before the final corner on to the main straight.
Hamilton finished practice in 19th, one place behind team-mate Charles Leclerc.
Norris and Piastri were far ahead of the rest of the field, with Nico Hulkenberg's Sauber P3, 0.619secs slower than the Australian's time.
Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso was fourth quickest, with Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto fifth from Mercedes' Russell and Alpine's Gasly and Williams' Sainz.
