Lando Norris Tops Oscar Piastri in Sao Paulo Practice

Lando Norris edged out fellow driver and title rival the Australian for the fastest time in the dying seconds of practice at the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Norris, who took the championship lead from Piastri by a single point after winning in Mexico City a fortnight back, topped the Melbourne-born driver by 0.023 seconds.

Until that point, Oscar Piastri had been the fastest McLaren driver throughout the hour before sprint qualifying scheduled for the evening session.

The Red Bull star, the other racer in realistic title contention, lying 36 points Norris, finished in P17 as his team ran a alternative strategy.

Verstappen's team-mate Yuki Tsunoda was the only driver to crash, albeit lightly, when he spun at the fourth corner soon after starting.

The Japanese lost control over the exit kerbs before spinning across the escape zone, and was blessed to avoid just a slight brush of the fence.

Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton also lost it, at the conclusion of the practice, rotating twice through the high-speed Mergulho turn approaching the final bend on to the start-finish straight.

The seven-time champion finished practice in 19th place, just behind team-mate the Monegasque driver.

Norris and Piastri were significantly quicker of the rest of the field, with the German's Sauber third fastest, 0.619 seconds off the Australian's time.

Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso was fourth fastest, with Sauber's Bortoleto fifth from the Mercedes of George Russell and Alpine's Gasly and the Williams of Sainz.