Norris Edges Out Piastri in Brazilian Practice

The McLaren driver just pipped team-mate and championship contender Oscar Piastri for the top spot in the dying seconds of practice at the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Norris, who took the title advantage from Piastri by one point after taking the win in Mexico City a fortnight back, beat the Melbourne-born driver by 0.023 seconds.

Earlier in the session, Oscar Piastri had been the fastest McLaren driver during the running before the sprint shootout due at 18:30 GMT.

Max Verstappen, the other racer in the points battle, sitting 36 points behind Norris, ended up in 17th place as his team opted for a alternative strategy.

Verstappen's team-mate the Japanese driver was the only driver to go off, if briefly, when he rotated at Turn Four during the early running.

Tsunoda lost control over the curbs on exit before spinning across the run-off area, and was blessed to escape with just a minor contact of the barrier.

Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton also lost it, at the very end of the practice, rotating twice through the high-speed corner approaching the last turn on to the start-finish straight.

Hamilton finished practice in P19, one place behind teammate Charles Leclerc.

The McLaren pair were significantly quicker of the other competitors, with Nico Hulkenberg's Sauber P3, 0.619secs slower than Piastri's pace.

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