NASCAR's Next Gen car due in 2021 will be delayed due to the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic.

The highly anticipated race car will now be introduced in 2022, John Probst, NASCAR's senior vice president of racing innovation, said Thursday.

“The decision was made in collaboration with the OEMs and team owners,” he said. “We will continue to develop the Next Gen car, and a revised testing timeline will be shared when more information is available.”

The news follows a previous statement from NASCAR officials made March 16 that the start of the current 2020 season will be postponed until May 3 due to the coronavirus. Despite the delay, NASCAR still plans to hold all 36 races.

As for the Next Gen car, real-world testing had already commenced in late 2019. The fourth test took place in March with William Byron stretching its legs at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California.

Few details have been released. What we know is that the Next Gen car has been developed with a view to making it more closely resemble the respective production models from which individual teams' designs are derived. It will also feature center-lock, 18-inch aluminum wheels from BBS.

Most major motorsport events around the globe have been canceled or postponed due to the coronavirus. You can view our evolving list here.