Norris Edges Out Oscar Piastri in Brazilian Practice
The British driver has beaten Oscar Piastri at each of the past five grands prix.
The McLaren driver just pipped team-mate and title rival the Australian for the fastest time in the final moments of practice at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
The British racer, who seized the title advantage from his teammate by one point after winning in Mexico City recently, beat the Australian by a mere 0.023s.
Earlier in the session, Oscar Piastri had been the fastest McLaren driver throughout the hour before sprint qualifying scheduled for 18:30 GMT.
Max Verstappen, the other racer in the points battle, sitting with a 36-point deficit behind Norris, finished in P17 as his team ran a alternative strategy.
Verstappen's team-mate Yuki Tsunoda was the only driver to crash, if briefly, when he rotated at Turn Four early in the session.
The Japanese slid over the exit kerbs before rotating through the gravel trap, and was blessed to get away with just a slight brush of the wall.
The Ferrari of the seven-time champion also had a spin, at the final moments of the session, spinning around through the fast downhill corner before the final corner on to the main straight.
The seven-time champion finished practice in P19, trailing teammate Charles Leclerc.
The McLaren pair were far ahead of the remaining drivers, with the German's car in third, over half a second off Piastri's best.
Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso was fourth fastest, with the Sauber of Bortoleto ahead of Mercedes' Russell and Alpine's Pierre Gasly and Williams' Sainz.
