🔗 Share this article

Lando Norris just pipped fellow driver and title rival Oscar Piastri for the top spot in the final moments of the practice session at the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Norris, who seized the championship lead from his teammate by a single point after his victory in Mexico City two weeks ago, topped the Australian by a tiny margin of 0.023secs.

Until that point, Oscar Piastri had been the leading McLaren for most of the session before sprint qualifying due at 18:30 GMT.

Max Verstappen, the other racer in the championship fight, lying with a 36-point deficit Norris, finished in P17 as his team followed a unique setup.

Verstappen's team-mate the Japanese driver was the sole competitor to go off, albeit lightly, when he spun at corner four soon after starting.

The Japanese spun out over the curbs on exit before sliding over the run-off area, and was lucky to avoid just a minor contact of the wall.

The Ferrari of Lewis Hamilton also had a spin, at the conclusion of the session, rotating twice through the quick descending corner leading to the final corner on to the pit straight.

Hamilton wrapped up in P19, one place behind team-mate Charles Leclerc.

Norris and Piastri were significantly quicker of the remaining drivers, with the German's Sauber in third, 0.619secs slower than Piastri's best.

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