Norris Edges Out Piastri in Brazilian Practice Session

Lando Norris edged out team-mate and championship contender Oscar Piastri for the quickest lap in the closing stages of the practice session at the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Norris, who grabbed the points lead from his teammate by just one point after winning in the Mexican Grand Prix recently, outpaced the Melbourne-born driver by a tiny margin of 0.023secs.

Until that point, Piastri had been the quickest of the McLaren pair during the running before sprint qualifying due at the evening session.

Max Verstappen, the other racer in the points battle, trailing with a 36-point deficit Norris, ended up in 17th position as his Red Bull team followed a alternative strategy.

Verstappen's team-mate Yuki Tsunoda was the only driver to go off, though minor, when he lost control at corner four early in the session.

The Japanese spun out over the curbs on exit before sliding over the escape zone, and was lucky to avoid just a slight brush of the wall.

The Ferrari of the seven-time champion also spun, at the conclusion of the practice, rotating twice through the fast downhill Mergulho turn before the last turn on to the pit straight.

The seven-time champion finished practice in 19th, trailing team-mate Charles Leclerc.

The McLaren drivers were significantly quicker of the rest of the field, with the German's car in third, 0.619 seconds behind Piastri's best.

Aston Martin's the Spanish driver was fourth quickest, with the Sauber of Gabriel Bortoleto fifth from the Mercedes of Russell and Alpine's Pierre Gasly and Williams' Sainz.