A TEENAGE rally driver from Bury will feature in a high octane television show in which he will teach Hollywood star Idris Elba how to drive a rally car.

Gus Greensmith will team up with the British star - best known for his role as the title character in BBC crime drama Luther and as Nelson Mandela in Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom - in a four-part show where he will be challenged to race across land, sea and air.

The 18-year-old, who is in his final year of A-Levels at Bury Grammar School, is one of the youngest drivers on the racing circuit and last year made his World Rally Championship debut at the Wales Rally GB in the RC4 class, finishing in third position.

He was approached to take a starring role in the new show because of his impressive driving performances.

Gus, from Birtle, said: "It was a real honour to be asked to do it. The idea is that I am preparing him for a rally . He is a really nice guy, very chilled and easy to get on with.

"He wasn't a Hollywood diva at all. If he was, I wouldn't have worked with him!"

Gus recently flew to Monaco to meet Idris, with filming set to continue in the coming months.

The TV show is the latest success in a short but glittering career for the teenage star.

Originally gaining his love of driving from his father, he started karting at the relatively late age of 12, as most of his competitors started at the age of eight or nine.

He quickly progressed up the ranks, securing his first race win in 2009 and racing in destinations such as Portugal, Italy and Bahrain.

At the age of 17, he decided to follow his true passion of rally driving, but he could not join the British Rally Championship as he did not hold a road licence.

In that time, he instead entered the juniors championships and was crowned Junior British Rally Champion, also earning the prestigious Pirelli star driver award in recognition of his efforts.

Last year, he made his debut in the World Rally Championship, and in the coming year he will move up a class, hoping to build on his experience.

Ultimately, he hopes to reach the top echelon of rally drivers and become one of the stars of the future.

The sport does not come without its dangers, as Gus well knows, going round corners at about 80mph, and having broke his leg once and his wrist three times.

But the danger is also part of his attraction to the sport.

Gus said: "The risk and the sense of winning is greater in rallying than any other sport. I absolutely hate coming second.

"I had a bit of a bad moment at a rally in Ulster, I missed the turn and ended up sideways, travelling at about 80mph."

He says he is backed "emotionally and financially" by his parents, as his father Charles runs Bury-based firm Crown Oils, as well as Gap Plastics.

Gus also makes sure his rallying does not interrupt with his A-Levels, getting ahead in his school work before travelling abroad.

He will even have to sit an economics exam in Portugal, because he will be out of the country racing on the day of the exam.

He added: "It can be quite stressful, because my week never seems to end. I train every day after college, and then most weekends I am racing as well."

Gus's starring role in the show will be shown on Discovery TV in mid-May.