Lando Norris Leads Piastri in Brazilian Practice

McLaren drivers in action

Lando Norris has beaten Oscar Piastri at all of the past five race weekends.

The McLaren driver narrowly beat team-mate and championship contender Oscar Piastri for the fastest time in the dying seconds of practice at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

The British racer, who grabbed the points lead from Piastri by just one point after his victory in the Mexican Grand Prix a fortnight back, beat the Melbourne-born driver by a tiny margin of 0.023secs.

Until that point, Piastri had been the quickest of the McLaren pair throughout the hour before the sprint shootout due at the evening session.

The Red Bull star, the only other driver in the championship fight, lying 36 points behind Norris, finished in P17 as his team followed a different programme.

His teammate Yuki Tsunoda was the sole competitor to go off, though minor, when he lost control at corner four soon after starting.

The Japanese slid over the curbs on exit before rotating through the escape zone, and was lucky to avoid just a light touch of the barrier.

The Ferrari of the seven-time champion also lost it, at the very end of the session, spinning around through the fast downhill Mergulho corner approaching the final bend on to the start-finish straight.

Hamilton wrapped up in 19th, trailing team-mate the Monegasque driver.

Norris and Piastri were well clear of the rest of the field, with the German's car in third, 0.619 seconds behind Piastri's best.

Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso was in fourth, with Sauber's Bortoleto ahead of Mercedes' Russell and the Alpine of Pierre Gasly and Williams' Carlos Sainz.

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