🔗 Share this article Norris Leads Piastri in Sao Paulo Practice The British driver has outscored Oscar Piastri at all of the previous five race weekends. The McLaren driver just pipped fellow driver and title rival Oscar Piastri for the top spot in the closing stages of the practice session at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. Norris, who seized the title advantage from Piastri by one point after taking the win in Mexico City recently, beat the Melbourne-born driver by 0.023 seconds. Until that point, Oscar Piastri had been the leading McLaren throughout the hour before the sprint shootout scheduled for 6:30 PM GMT. Max Verstappen, the only other driver in the championship fight, lying 36 points Norris, finished in 17th position as his team followed a alternative strategy. Verstappen's team-mate the Japanese driver was the only driver to crash, albeit lightly, when he rotated at the fourth corner soon after starting. The Japanese spun out over the track edges before sliding over the escape zone, and was blessed to avoid just a slight brush of the wall. The Ferrari of the seven-time champion also spun, at the final moments of the practice, spinning around through the fast downhill corner leading to the last turn on to the pit straight. Hamilton wrapped up in 19th, one place behind teammate Charles Leclerc. The McLaren pair were significantly quicker of the rest of the field, with Nico Hulkenberg's Sauber P3, 0.619secs slower than the Australian's time. The Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso was fourth fastest, with Sauber's Bortoleto in front of Mercedes' George Russell and the Alpine of Gasly and Williams' Sainz.