🔗 Share this article Lando Norris Tops Piastri in Sao Paulo Practice Lando Norris has beaten Oscar Piastri at each of the last five race weekends. The McLaren driver narrowly beat fellow driver and title rival Oscar Piastri for the fastest time in the dying seconds of practice at the Brazilian Grand Prix. Norris, who grabbed the points lead from his teammate by just one point after winning in the Mexican Grand Prix a fortnight back, outpaced the Australian by 0.023 seconds. Until that point, Oscar Piastri had been the leading McLaren during the running before the sprint shootout due at 6:30 PM GMT. Max Verstappen, the only other driver in realistic title contention, trailing 36 points behind Norris, finished in 17th place as his Red Bull team opted for a alternative strategy. His teammate Yuki Tsunoda was the sole competitor to crash, if briefly, when he rotated at Turn Four during the early running. Tsunoda slid over the exit kerbs before spinning across the escape zone, and was blessed to get away with just a light touch of the barrier. Ferrari's the seven-time champion also had a spin, at the final moments of the practice, turning around through the quick descending corner leading to the final corner on to the main straight. The seven-time champion ended the session in 19th place, trailing team-mate the Monegasque driver. The McLaren drivers were well clear of the rest of the field, with Nico Hulkenberg's car in third, 0.619 seconds off Piastri's best. 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 Pierre Gasly and the Williams of Sainz.