Lewis Hamilton has not ruled out the prospect of one day returning to McLaren.
Hamilton is to leave the place he calls "home" following tomorrow's Brazilian Grand Prix, which will be his 110th race with the team at the end of a six-year spell.
Overall, the 27-year-old has a 14-year association with the Woking-based marque, so it is no wonder he concedes to feeling "emotional" this weekend ahead of his move to Mercedes on a three-year deal.
Whether that is a temporary sojourn, as Hamilton seeks to challenge himself with another team, only time will tell.
But after joking on Thursday he would return to McLaren for lunch and dinner given the standard of hospitality, it is not beyond the realms of possibility he and they will join forces again in the future.
"You can never say never. It will always be my home. I'll always look at it as my home," said Hamilton.
"Going back there will be nice one day, but I want to experience some things along the way.
"It's almost like I'm going travelling for a bit, it's just that I'm doing it with a different company."
In conducting an interview with the BBC earlier this week, Hamilton's emotions finally got the better of him as he became teary-eyed when asked for his thoughts on his impending departure.
That underlines the depth of feeling Hamilton is always likely to have for McLaren, no matter what he does in the future.
Hamilton also knows that despite the fact he is no longer involved in this year's title race, he appreciates what he will be leaving behind at McLaren, and what is to come at Mercedes.
Given the fact he has never won at Interlagos, Hamilton said: "It would be great to win here. I've never won here before.
"And I don't know when I'll have a car again quite like this one to win again."
The car propelled Hamilton to victory in the United States on Sunday, also allowed him to finish top of the timesheet on his final Friday practice session for McLaren.
Hamilton clocked a lap of one minute 14.026secs, with title rivals Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso second and fifth, 0.274secs and 0.556secs adrift respectively.
"It's great to have such a positive final Friday with the team," said Hamilton.
"It's been one of the best Fridays we've had for a long, long time, in fact.
"Right now I'm savouring every moment of this weekend, and I'll be taking photographs of my engineers and mechanics through each day.
"The car feels really good - thanks guys - and it would be the perfect Saturday if I could take pole."
Showers are expected today, with heavy rain forecast tomorrow, but the timing of which is as yet unknown, adding to the tension given the championship fight between Vettel and Alonso.
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