Buenos Aires - Germany's X-Raid accepted Friday the Dakar Rally was over for its leading driver Nasser al-Attiyah following disqualification the previous evening.

The Qatari won Thursday's sixth stage to increase his overall lead in the rally, only to be disqualified for missing hidden checkpoints.

Team director Sven Quandt had acknowledged late Thursday that the decision meant exclusion from the race, but said earlier Friday he was still hoping al-Attiyah could continue with a hefty time penalty.

However team spokeswoman Yvette Theisen said in Mendoza before the start of Friday's seventh stage that the race was now over for their driver and his Swedish navigator, Tina Thoerner.

"Unfortunately we have to accept it. It's a pity but we have given a good performance," she said.

BMW X3 driver al-Attiyah and Thoerner were disqualified by race officials for missing several electronic way-points on a shortened 178-kilometre stage between San Rafael and Mendoza in Argentina.

Quandt said in a statement late Thursday: "The problem started last night when we found a lot of grass in the radiator and the car was getting very hot.

"We did as much work on the car as we could last night, but we could not change everything.

"This morning at the start of the sand dunes, the temperature began to climb immediately and Nasser had to decide whether to go in the sand or drive around. He decided to go around and, in so doing, he did not pass all the way-points.

"That meant that he was automatically vulnerable to a time penalty. But he missed too many way-points and the penalty in the rally regulations is exclusion from the race."

Before the decision to oust him from the competition, al-Attiyah held a lead of 7 minutes 31 seconds over South African Giniel de Villiers.

After six of the 14 stages, Volkswagen is in a stronger position for a first Dakar victory, with Villiers, second placed Carlos Sainz of Spain (at 7:39) and Mark Miller of the United States (at 17:51) leading the field in Race Touaregs.

VW motorsport director said: "We can be satisfied with the results up to now but we know there are some hard days ahead. We mustn't forget that the hardest stages are still to come."

Friday's seventh stage was due to take competitors from Mendoza in Argentina to Valparaiso in Chile.

Organizers have shortened and modified the stage slightly and cancelled the day's truck leg following difficulties encountered on the last section of dunes on Thursday. (dpa)