Current FIM Moto2 World Championship leader, Scott Redding, will swap his Kalex Moto2 bike for a BMW M3 GT4, as he takes to the track for the first time on four wheels this weekend at Spa Francorchamps in Belgium.

It will be a new experience for Redding, who normally drives a van with less than 100BHP when he’s home between races. At Spa the 20-year-old Briton will be behind the wheel of a BMW M3 GT4, which weighs in at just 1,430 kilograms and produces 420BHP from it’s V8, five litre engine.

Just a bit of a difference then!

The BMW M3 GT4 has been supplied by BMW Motorsport and is the car they use for taxi rides at DTM races, which makes it unique in that it’s fitted with two seats. Redding will receive expert instruction from experienced driver coach, Martin Scheiff, before being let loose on his own around the Spa Francorchamps circuit.

Redding will spend two days at Spa to familiarise himself with both the car and the 20 turns that comprise the seven-kilometre Spa Francorchamps circuit, home of the Belgian Formula 1 Grand Prix and the world renowned 24 Hours of Spa endurance race.

“BMW Motorsport very kindly gave me the opportunity to drive the BMW M3 GT4 at Spa and there was no way I was going to pass up a chance like that,” declared Redding. “To be honest I’m a bit nervous about the whole thing. The car weighs next to nothing and produces around 420BHP, so it’s a bit different to the Caddy van I normally knock about in. But it’s not just the car; the track has something of a reputation too.”

“I visited the track for the 1000km of Spa a few years ago, when our car team were racing there, but I’ve never actually ridden the circuit myself. At seven kilometres it’s longer than any track we race on, so learning my way around will be the first priority. Learning a track doesn’t take me that long on a bike, but I suspect it will be a bit harder behind the wheel of a car, as the lines will be completely different and the car itself is about ten times wider than my Moto2 bike.”

“And then there’s the Raidillon…”

“I saw the Marc VDS cars going through there at speed a few years ago and I remember thinking then, ‘that looks a bit scary’, but I suspect it’s going to look a lot more scary from the seat of the BMW M3 GT4 at 200 km/h! The fact that every time I mention to someone that I’m driving at Spa they suck their teeth and whisper ‘Le Raidillon’ hasn’t done much for my nerves, either!”

“I know Martin Scheiff, who’ll be my instructor at the event, so I’ll be in safe hands, but that doesn’t make it any less daunting. Having said that, I’m really looking forward to it and I can’t wait to get out there and give it a go at the wheel of a full on GT4 car.”