🔗 Share this article Norris Edges Out Oscar Piastri in Sao Paulo Practice Session The British driver has outperformed Oscar Piastri at all of the past five race weekends. Lando Norris just pipped team-mate and title rival the Australian for the fastest time in the dying seconds of the practice session at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. The British racer, who seized the championship lead from Piastri by one point after winning in the Mexican Grand Prix a fortnight back, beat the Melbourne-born driver by 0.023 seconds. Earlier in the session, Piastri had been the leading McLaren for most of the session before the sprint shootout set to begin at 18:30 GMT. The Red Bull star, the sole remaining contender in the points battle, trailing 36 points behind Norris, finished in P17 as his team followed a alternative strategy. Verstappen's team-mate the Japanese driver was the sole competitor to go off, albeit lightly, when he lost control at the fourth corner soon after starting. Tsunoda slid over the exit kerbs before spinning across the escape zone, and was blessed to get away with just a minor contact of the fence. Ferrari's the seven-time champion also lost it, at the very end of the practice, spinning around through the quick descending corner before the final bend on to the start-finish straight. The seven-time champion wrapped up in 19th place, just behind team-mate Charles Leclerc. The McLaren drivers were well clear of the remaining drivers, with Nico Hulkenberg's Sauber third fastest, 0.619 seconds off Piastri's best. Aston Martin's the Spanish driver was in fourth, with the Sauber of Gabriel Bortoleto fifth from the Mercedes of Russell and the Alpine of Pierre Gasly and Williams' Sainz.