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Lando Norris just pipped team-mate and championship contender the Australian for the quickest lap in the closing stages of the practice session at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

Norris, who grabbed the title advantage from his teammate by just one point after winning in the Mexican Grand Prix a fortnight back, topped the Melbourne-born driver by a tiny margin of 0.023secs.

Earlier in the session, Oscar Piastri had been the fastest McLaren driver during the running before the sprint shootout scheduled for 6:30 PM GMT.

The Red Bull star, the only other driver in the points battle, trailing with a 36-point deficit Norris, ended up in 17th position as his Red Bull team opted for a different programme.

Verstappen's team-mate the Japanese driver was the sole competitor to go off, though minor, when he spun at corner four during the early running.

The Japanese lost control over the track edges before sliding over the gravel trap, and was fortunate to escape with just a minor contact of the fence.

Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton also lost it, at the conclusion of the practice, rotating twice through the fast downhill corner before the final corner on to the pit straight.

Hamilton wrapped up in 19th, just behind teammate the Monegasque driver.

The McLaren pair were well clear of the rest of the field, with the German's Sauber P3, 0.619 seconds slower than Piastri's pace.

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