Control method and control device for internal combustion engine

A control method and a control device for controlling a spark-ignition internal combustion engine that is equipped with a turbocharger and an exhaust gas recirculation device. The operation of the engine is carried out to perform a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio by performing exhaust gas recirculation even in a high-load range including a maximum-output operation point. When the maximum output operation point is required, intake air information such as atmospheric pressure and outside air temperature is used as a basis to calculate intake air density, which is compared with a predetermined density threshold. When the intake density is equal to or less than the density threshold at a high-altitude location or the like, an exhaust gas recirculation rate is set to 0. As a result, the maximum output can be higher than when exhaust gas recirculation is performed.