🔗 Share this article

The McLaren driver edged out team-mate and title rival Oscar Piastri for the quickest lap in the dying seconds of the practice session at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

Norris, who seized the championship lead from Piastri by just one point after his victory in the Mexican Grand Prix a fortnight back, topped the Melbourne-born driver by a mere 0.023s.

Earlier in the session, Piastri had been the fastest McLaren driver throughout the hour before sprint qualifying set to begin at the evening session.

Max Verstappen, the sole remaining contender in the championship fight, lying 36 points behind Norris, was classified in 17th place as his team ran a unique setup.

Verstappen's team-mate the Japanese driver was the sole competitor to crash, if briefly, when he rotated at the fourth corner during the early running.

Tsunoda slid over the curbs on exit before rotating through the escape zone, and was fortunate to escape with just a slight brush of the fence.

The Ferrari of Lewis Hamilton also had a spin, at the very end of the practice, turning around through the high-speed Mergulho turn approaching the final bend on to the start-finish straight.

Hamilton ended the session in 19th place, one place behind team-mate the Monegasque driver.

Norris and Piastri were well clear of the other competitors, with Nico Hulkenberg's car P3, 0.619secs slower than Piastri's pace.

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