Lando Norris Leads Oscar Piastri in Sao Paulo Practice Session

Lando Norris edged out team-mate and championship contender Oscar Piastri for the top spot in the closing stages of practice at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

Norris, who grabbed the points lead from Piastri by a single point after winning in Mexico City recently, outpaced the Australian by a mere 0.023s.

Earlier in the session, Oscar Piastri had been the leading McLaren throughout the hour before the sprint shootout due at the evening session.

Max Verstappen, the sole remaining contender in the points battle, sitting with a 36-point deficit behind Norris, finished in P17 as his team followed a different programme.

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

Tsunoda lost control over the curbs on exit before spinning across the gravel trap, and was lucky to get away with just a slight brush of the fence.

Ferrari's the seven-time champion also had a spin, at the very end of the practice, rotating twice through the quick descending Mergulho turn before the final bend on to the main straight.

The veteran finished practice in P19, trailing team-mate Charles Leclerc.

The McLaren pair were far ahead of the other competitors, with Nico Hulkenberg's car P3, over half a second slower than Piastri's pace.

Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso was fourth quickest, with the Sauber of Bortoleto ahead of Mercedes' George Russell and the Alpine of Gasly and the Williams of Carlos Sainz.