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Lando Norris just pipped team-mate and championship contender the Australian for the top spot in the closing stages of the practice session at the Brazilian Grand Prix.

The British racer, who took the title advantage from Piastri by just one point after taking the win in the Mexican Grand Prix a fortnight back, topped the Australian by a tiny margin of 0.023secs.

Until that point, Oscar Piastri had been the quickest of the McLaren pair throughout the hour before the sprint shootout set to begin at 6:30 PM GMT.

Max Verstappen, the sole remaining contender in the points battle, lying 36 points behind behind Norris, finished in 17th position as his Red Bull team opted for a alternative strategy.

Verstappen's team-mate the Japanese driver was the sole competitor to go off, though minor, when he spun at Turn Four early in the session.

Tsunoda slid over the curbs on exit before spinning across the gravel trap, and was blessed to avoid just a slight brush of the wall.

The Ferrari of Lewis Hamilton also had a spin, at the final moments of the practice, rotating twice through the high-speed Mergulho turn before the last turn on to the start-finish straight.

The veteran finished practice in 19th place, just behind team-mate Charles Leclerc.

Norris and Piastri were significantly quicker of the other competitors, with the German's car in third, 0.619secs slower than Piastri's pace.

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