Lando Norris Tops Oscar Piastri in Sao Paulo Practice Session
The British driver has outscored Oscar Piastri at each of the past five grands prix.
The McLaren driver just pipped team-mate and championship contender the Australian for the quickest lap in the final moments of practice at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
Norris, who grabbed the championship lead from Piastri by one point after winning in the Mexican Grand Prix two weeks ago, beat the Melbourne-born driver by a mere 0.023s.
Until that point, Oscar Piastri had been the quickest of the McLaren pair during the running before the sprint shootout due at 18:30 GMT.
The Red Bull star, the other racer in the points battle, lying 36 points behind behind Norris, ended up in P17 as his team ran a alternative strategy.
Verstappen's team-mate the Japanese driver was the only driver to go off, if briefly, when he lost control at Turn Four soon after starting.
The Japanese spun out over the track edges before spinning across the gravel trap, and was fortunate to get away with just a slight brush of the fence.
Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton also had a spin, at the final moments of the session, rotating twice through the quick descending Mergulho corner before the final bend on to the main straight.
The seven-time champion finished practice in 19th, trailing teammate Charles Leclerc.
The McLaren pair were significantly quicker of the remaining drivers, with the German's Sauber in third, over half a second behind Piastri's pace.
The Aston Martin of the Spanish driver was fourth fastest, with the Sauber of Gabriel Bortoleto fifth from the Mercedes of Russell and the Alpine of Gasly and Williams' Carlos Sainz.
