Raikkonen ends record run of 27 races in the points

SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium (Reuters) - Kimi Raikkonen's record run of 27 Formula One races in the points came to an end when the Lotus driver retired from the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday.

(AAP)

The Finn tried to overtake Ferrari's Brazilian Felipe Massa in a battle for seventh place on lap 26 when he appeared to suffer brake trouble and ran off the track.

The 2007 world champion, who passed Michael Schumacher's 2001-03 record of 24 successive races in the points earlier in the season, returned to the pits and got out of the car with the brakes smoking.

Raikkonen, a four-times winner in Belgium, was second in the championship before Sunday's race and 38 points adrift of Red Bull's triple champion Sebastian Vettel, who was leading the 11th round of the season.

(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Pritha Sarkar)