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Lando Norris just pipped team-mate and championship contender Oscar Piastri for the fastest time in the final moments of practice at the Brazilian Grand Prix.

The British racer, who grabbed the points lead from Piastri by just one point after his victory in the Mexican Grand Prix a fortnight back, outpaced the Australian by a tiny margin of 0.023secs.

Before then, Piastri had been the leading McLaren for most of the session before the sprint shootout scheduled for the evening session.

Max Verstappen, the other racer in the points battle, trailing 36 points behind behind Norris, finished in 17th place as his team ran a different programme.

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

Tsunoda lost control over the exit kerbs before sliding over the escape zone, and was fortunate to avoid just a slight brush of the wall.

The Ferrari of Lewis Hamilton also lost it, at the conclusion of the practice, rotating twice through the fast downhill Mergulho corner approaching the last turn on to the start-finish straight.

The veteran wrapped up in 19th, trailing teammate the Monegasque driver.

The McLaren pair were significantly quicker of the other competitors, with Nico Hulkenberg's Sauber in third, over half a second off Piastri's pace.

Aston Martin's the Spanish driver was fourth fastest, with the Sauber of Gabriel Bortoleto fifth from Mercedes' Russell and Alpine's Gasly and Williams' Sainz.