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The McLaren driver just pipped team-mate and title rival the Australian for the fastest time in the dying seconds of practice at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

Norris, who took the points lead from Piastri by just one point after taking the win in the Mexican Grand Prix two weeks ago, beat the Melbourne-born driver by 0.023 seconds.

Before then, Piastri had been the leading McLaren for most of the session before sprint qualifying due at the evening session.

The Red Bull star, the other racer in the championship fight, sitting with a 36-point deficit behind Norris, finished in 17th place as his team followed a alternative strategy.

Verstappen's team-mate Yuki Tsunoda was the sole competitor to go off, albeit lightly, when he spun at corner four during the early running.

The Japanese lost control over the exit kerbs before rotating through the gravel trap, and was lucky to get away with just a minor contact of the wall.

The Ferrari of Lewis Hamilton also lost it, at the very end of the session, turning around through the quick descending Mergulho turn leading to the final corner on to the pit straight.

The veteran wrapped up in 19th, trailing teammate Charles Leclerc.

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

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