MADRID, Oct 22, 2007 (AFP) - Spain's press on Monday called Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen's Formula One title win a 'sweet defeat' for Lewis Hamilton, the McLaren Mercedes teammate and bitter rival of Spanish driver Fernando Alonso.

'Sweet Defeat,' sports daily AS said on its front page below a photo of double world champion Alonso holding a large champagne bottle after finishing third following Sunday's season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix.

Britain's Hamilton, who the Spanish media has accused of being favoured by McLaren over Alonso, finished seventh after leading the championship for six months.

The newspaper added on its front page headline that McLaren chief Ron Dennis "made Raikkonen the champion of the world."

"Neither Hamilton, nor Alonso: the title went to Raikkonen and Ferrari," rival sports newspaper Marca said on its front page which featured a picture of a dejected-looking Hamilton looking at the ground after the race.

"Dennis gave away the title by favouring Hamilton who did not handle the pressure," the newspaper said.

Alonso supporters who gathered in his hometown of Oviedo in northern Spain to watch the race on a giant outdoor screen celebrated Hamilton's loss, daily newspaper El Mundo reported.

Alonso is set to return to Renault for next year, the team that made him champion in 2005 and 2006, Spanish media have reported. However, the driver told a radio station on Sunday night that going back to the French team is not
his 'first option.'

The McLaren Mercedes-Benz Formula One team said Sunday night it would appeal a stewards decision at the Brazilian Grand Prix, keeping alive Hamilton's F1 title dream.