Officials change Interlagos after driver's death

An escape area will be added on the corner where a Brazilian driver died in a truck series race a week ago at Interlagos, in an attempt to improve safety at the track hosting this year's Formula One season finale.

Officials will remove a section of the stands and add an slowdown area outside the high-speed corner where 29-year-old Gustavo Sondermann was killed after a crash April 3. The work should be completed by the Brazilian GP on Nov. 27.

The corner, which leads to the main straight at the 2.6-mile track, had already claimed the lives of a motorcycle racer this year and a stock car driver in 2007.

Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber crashed there at the 2003 F1 race, prompting a red flag.