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Lando Norris narrowly beat team-mate and title rival Oscar Piastri for the fastest time in the final moments of practice at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

Norris, who seized the points lead from Piastri by a single point after winning in Mexico City recently, topped the Australian by a mere 0.023s.

Before then, Piastri had been the quickest of the McLaren pair for most of the session before sprint qualifying scheduled for 18:30 GMT.

The Red Bull star, the sole remaining contender in the championship fight, lying with a 36-point deficit Norris, finished in P17 as his Red Bull team followed a alternative strategy.

Verstappen's team-mate Yuki Tsunoda was the sole competitor to crash, albeit lightly, when he rotated at the fourth corner during the early running.

Tsunoda lost control over the track edges before sliding over the gravel trap, and was fortunate to avoid just a slight brush of the wall.

The Ferrari of Lewis Hamilton also lost it, at the final moments of the practice, rotating twice through the fast downhill corner before the final corner on to the main straight.

The seven-time champion finished practice in P19, trailing team-mate the Monegasque driver.

The McLaren pair were far ahead of the rest of the field, with Nico Hulkenberg's car third fastest, 0.619secs off Piastri's best.

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