(CNN) Season Five rookie Pascal Wehrlein is discovering the 'E' in Formula E also stands for early mornings.

"The mornings start at five or six o'clock," he tells CNN's Supercharged . "It's not my time!

"I don't like to wake up so early."

Each of the 13 races on the calendar is a frenetic one-day festival of racing, with the first practice session beginning as early as 07:30am local time and the E-Prix just eight hours later.

With qualifying and media duties to squeeze in too, it makes for a thrilling day at the track unlike any other form of motorsport.

Wehrlein was involved in arguably the most exciting ePrix in the sport's five seasons at the previous race in Mexico City.

The German almost led from start to finish after a scintillating drive in qualifying left him in pole position, but his car's battery died just a few meters from the finish line and allowed Lucas di Grassi to steal victory.

Making life easier

Photos: The 2018/19 Formula E season Formula E 2018/19 – The 2018/19 Formula E season proved to be a thriller, with the exciting new Gen2 cars boasting top speeds of 280km/h. Eight different drivers won the first eight races in a season that went down to the wire. Hide Caption 1 of 15 Photos: The 2018/19 Formula E season Frenchman Jean-Eric Vergne became the first double champion in the sport's history, defending the title he won last season thanks to three race victories. Hide Caption 2 of 15 Photos: The 2018/19 Formula E season Robin Frijns won his second E-Prix of the season, storming to victory in the final race of 2018/19 in New York. Hide Caption 3 of 15 Photos: The 2018/19 Formula E season Former world champion Sebastian Buemi claimed his first victory of 2018/19 at the first of a double-header in New York. Hide Caption 4 of 15 Photos: The 2018/19 Formula E season Jean-Eric Vergne strengthened his grip on the title with his third victory of the season in Bern, extending his lead to 38 points at the top of the championship. Hide Caption 5 of 15 Photos: The 2018/19 Formula E season Berlin, race 10 – An ecstatic Lucas Di Grassi celebrated in style after dominating the Berlin E-Prix to close the gap at the top of the drivers' championship. Hide Caption 6 of 15 Photos: The 2018/19 Formula E season Formula E finally got its first repeat winner of the season in race nine, as Jean-Eric Vergne led from pole to finish to secure his second victory of the season. Hide Caption 7 of 15 Photos: The 2018/19 Formula E season Dutch driver Robin Frijns claimed victory in Paris on the day his country celebrated its national King's Day. The Envision Virgin Racing man was the eighth different driver to win the eight races so far this season. Hide Caption 8 of 15 Photos: The 2018/19 Formula E season Mitch Evans victory at the Rome ePrix was Jaguar's first in motorsport since 1991. The Kiwi is the only driver to score points in the seven races so far this season. Hide Caption 9 of 15 Photos: The 2018/19 Formula E season Sanya, race six – Jean-Eric Vergne put an end to a miserable run of form that saw him go pointless for three straight races by taking victory in Sanya, the first time the championship had visited the south China city Hide Caption 10 of 15 Photos: The 2018/19 Formula E season Hong Kong, race five – Edoardo Mortara backed up his third place in Mexico by claiming top spot in Hong Kong, Venturi's first ever victory in Formula E. Sam Bird had initially crossed the line in first place but after a four-hour investigation, was demoted for smashing into the back of race leader Andre Lotterer. Hide Caption 11 of 15 Photos: The 2018/19 Formula E season Mexico City, race four – Former world champion Lucas Di Grassi celebrates his victory at the Mexico ePrix, arguably the most thrilling race in the sport's five seasons. Race leader Pascal Wehrlein's battery died just meters from the line, allowing Di Grassi to swoop past on the inside and snatch victory. Hide Caption 12 of 15 Photos: The 2018/19 Formula E season Santiago, race three – On a sweltering afternoon in Santiago, Chile -- the hottest ePrix in history -- Sam Bird stormed to victory at the Parque O'Higgins Circuit. After finishing third overall last season, the Briton will have hopes of coming out on top this time around. Hide Caption 13 of 15 Photos: The 2018/19 Formula E season Marrakesh, race two – Jerome d'Ambrosio followed up his podium finish in Saudi Arabia with victory in Marrakesh -- his third in Formula E -- to take an early lead at the top of the championship. Hide Caption 14 of 15 Photos: The 2018/19 Formula E season Ad Diriyah, race one – The season got off to a thrilling start in Ad Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, as Portuguese driver Antonio Felix da Costa edged out Jean-Eric Vergne and Jerome d'Ambrosio to claim the second Formula E win of his career. Hide Caption 15 of 15

Despite the setback, the Formula E rookie remains optimistic about the season ahead.

"We spend a lot of time in the car during the day," enthuses Wehrlein, who is making his debut for the competitive Mahindra team alongside race-winner Jerome D'Ambrosio.

"I really like it [but] we don't have a lot of time in a race weekend -- it's just 30 minutes and 45 minutes practice, so to get used to the track and the set-up is tough.

"But I have a great team behind me which is helping a lot and Jerome has a lot of experience. They're making my life a bit easier!"

In spite of having to master the early mornings, Formula E is providing a new dawn for Wehrlein's motorsport career.

The 24-year-old drifted out of Formula 1 at the end of 2017 after spells at Manor and Sauber where -- despite three points-scoring finishes -- he struggled to show his full potential.

JUST WATCHED Will Formula E merge with Formula One? Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Will Formula E merge with Formula One? 01:39

He had arrived with Mercedes backing and was even tipped as the next Lewis Hamilton after becoming the youngest winner of the German Touring Car Championship (DTM) at 20.

But after his six-year relationship with the Silver Arrows ended last December, Wehrlein was left wondering 'what next'?

The answer was Formula E and he was free to join Mahindra in time for round two in Marrakesh.

'I need this environment'

"It's been great," says Wehrlein, despite his Moroccan debut ending with a collision on the first lap.

"They welcomed me straight from the beginning and everyone is so nice.

"After Marrakesh the team was happy because Jerome won the race but everyone came to me and said: 'It was not your fault and we're behind you and next time it's your turn.'

"So many kind words and I need this environment. In this environment I can deliver the best performance -- it's great to have that."

Wehrlein, who has also recently signed as a development driver for Ferrari, has wasted no time paying back Mahindra for their support with sizzling drives in Chile and Mexico.

On the sweltering streets of Santiago , a fast-finishing Wehrlein almost snatched victory from Virgin Racing's Sam Bird.

"It was close," explains Wehrlein. "With two laps to go I started a move but then I had to slow down because of the temperature.

"I felt I could have done more and finished the race in first but I'm happy with second and there should be some room for improvement."

Hungry for more

JUST WATCHED Extreme E: 'Blue Planet meets Dakar Rally' Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Extreme E: 'Blue Planet meets Dakar Rally' 02:07

A five-second penalty for cutting a chicane as he coasted over the line meant Wehrlein was ultimately classified in sixth.

"Aside from the last lap, I'm happy with how the race went and with my first pole position," he said after the race.

Asked how he felt after his first podium in Chile, Wehrlein smiles: "Very good, very good and hungry for more."

This could be Wehrlein's time to shine in Formula E -- even if it means getting up at the crack of dawn.