Norris Edges Out Oscar Piastri in Sao Paulo Practice Session
The British driver has beaten Oscar Piastri at all of the previous five race weekends.
Lando Norris narrowly beat team-mate and championship contender the Australian for the fastest time in the final moments of the practice session at the Brazilian Grand Prix.
Norris, who took the title advantage from his teammate by just one point after his victory in Mexico City recently, beat the Melbourne-born driver by 0.023 seconds.
Earlier in the session, Oscar Piastri had been the fastest McLaren driver for most of the session before the sprint shootout set to begin at 6:30 PM GMT.
The Red Bull star, the other racer in the championship fight, lying with a 36-point deficit Norris, ended up in 17th place as his team ran a unique setup.
Verstappen's team-mate Yuki Tsunoda was the only driver to go off, if briefly, when he spun at corner four early in the session.
The Japanese spun out over the track edges before sliding over the escape zone, and was fortunate to get away with just a light touch of the wall.
Ferrari's the seven-time champion also had a spin, at the final moments of the practice, spinning around through the quick descending corner approaching the final corner on to the main straight.
The seven-time champion wrapped up in 19th place, just behind team-mate the Monegasque driver.
Norris and Piastri were far ahead of the rest of the field, with Nico Hulkenberg's Sauber third fastest, 0.619secs off the Australian's time.
Aston Martin's the Spanish driver was fourth fastest, with the Sauber of Gabriel Bortoleto fifth from Mercedes' Russell and the Alpine of Pierre Gasly and the Williams of Sainz.
