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The McLaren driver narrowly beat team-mate and championship contender Oscar Piastri for the quickest lap in the dying seconds of the practice session at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

Norris, who grabbed the championship lead from Piastri by one point after winning in Mexico City recently, outpaced the Australian by a mere 0.023s.

Before then, Piastri had been the leading McLaren throughout the hour before sprint qualifying scheduled for 6:30 PM GMT.

Max Verstappen, the sole remaining contender in the championship fight, trailing 36 points behind Norris, ended up in 17th place as his Red Bull team ran a alternative strategy.

Verstappen's team-mate Yuki Tsunoda was the sole competitor to go off, if briefly, when he lost control at the fourth corner early in the session.

The Japanese lost control over the curbs on exit before spinning across the run-off area, and was lucky to escape with just a slight brush of the barrier.

The Ferrari of Lewis Hamilton also spun, at the very end of the session, turning around through the quick descending Mergulho turn before the last turn on to the pit straight.

The seven-time champion finished practice in 19th, one place behind team-mate Charles Leclerc.

The McLaren drivers were well clear of the rest of the field, with Nico Hulkenberg's car in third, 0.619secs behind the Australian's time.

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