Norris Edges Out Piastri in Brazilian Practice Session
The British driver has beaten Oscar Piastri at all of the previous five grands prix.
The McLaren driver just pipped fellow driver and championship contender the Australian for the fastest time in the final moments of practice at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
The British racer, who took the title advantage from his teammate by a single point after winning in Mexico City recently, outpaced the Melbourne-born driver by 0.023 seconds.
Until that point, Oscar Piastri had been the leading McLaren throughout the hour before sprint qualifying due at 6:30 PM GMT.
The Red Bull star, the sole remaining contender in realistic title contention, lying 36 points behind Norris, was classified in P17 as his team ran a alternative strategy.
His teammate the Japanese driver was the sole competitor to crash, if briefly, when he lost control at corner four early in the session.
Tsunoda lost control over the curbs on exit before sliding over the run-off area, and was fortunate to avoid just a slight brush of the wall.
Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton also spun, at the very end of the practice, spinning around through the quick descending Mergulho turn before the final bend on to the pit straight.
Hamilton wrapped up in P19, one place behind teammate the Monegasque driver.
Norris and Piastri were far ahead of the other competitors, with Nico Hulkenberg's car P3, over half a second slower than the Australian's time.
Aston Martin's the Spanish driver was fourth fastest, with Sauber's Bortoleto ahead of the Mercedes of George Russell and Alpine's Pierre Gasly and Williams' Sainz.
