Initialization of a control unit

A control unit for controlling an internal combustion engine in a motor vehicle passes through an initialization phase after power-on. To start the internal combustion engine, the internal combustion engine is synchronized with the control unit. To initialize a control unit in a way that enables the internal combustion engine controlled by this control unit to be started particularly quickly, the following steps are carried out irrespective of their order as a function of the detected start request probability: the vehicle is checked and, if necessary, secured to prevent rolling; an interruption in the flow of power between the internal combustion engine and the driven wheels is ensured; the internal combustion engine is set in motion by an electric motor; the control unit is synchronized with the internal combustion engine so that a position of the internal combustion engine is detected by the control unit; the electric motor is deactivated; the control unit is placed in a standby mode and waits for a start request.