A method for operating an internal combustion engine having a control unit and an exhaust gas turbocharger with a turbine, arranged in an exhaust tract for an exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine, and having a compressor, arranged in a fresh air tract for fresh air for the internal combustion engine, wherein a throttle valve is provided in the direction of flow of the fresh air downstream of the compressor and upstream of the internal combustion engine, and also having a compressed air injection device, comprising at least one pressure tank and an air injection valve which can be opened and closed by the control unit and is connected in a gas-conveying manner to the pressure tank for introducing compressed air into the fresh air tract between the throttle valve and the internal combustion engine, wherein a first gas pressure p 1 is measured between the compressor and the throttle valve and a second gas pressure p 2 is measured between the throttle valve and the internal combustion engine in the fresh air tract and wherein the throttle valve can be controlled or regulated by the control unit, wherein a fuel system is provided, wherein the internal combustion engine is spark-ignited and an ignition angle is adjusted by the control unit, with the following method steps for minimising a reaction time to a torque setpoint jump of the internal combustion engine with a minimum consumption of compressed air: - increasing the torque demand on the internal combustion engine, - opening the air injection valve and constantly measuring the first and second gas pressures p 1, p 2 by the control unit, - closing the throttle valve by the control unit at the earliest with the opening of the air injection valve or as soon as the second pressure p 2 exceeds the first pressure p 1, - calculating a first gas mass flow which is conveyed in the internal combustion engine and calculating a second gas mass flow which corresponds to the desired torque by the control unit, - as soon as the first gas mass flow is greater than the second gas mass flow, retarding an ignition angle, - as soon as the first gas mass flow, multiplied by a factor e zw,min, equals the second gas mass flow, slowly closing the air injection valve, - as soon as the exhaust gas turbocharger reaches a defined speed, fully closing the air injection valve, - as soon as the first gas pressure p 1 equals the second gas pressure p 2, opening the throttle valve by the control unit, - continuously controlling or regulating the fuel system by the control unit such that a near-stoichiometric fuel/air ratio of the internal combustion engine is available for combustion, - conventional operation of the internal combustion engine. - increasing the torque demand on the internal combustion engine, - opening the air injection valve and constantly measuring the first and second gas pressures p 1, p 2 by the control unit, - closing the throttle valve by the control unit at the earliest with the opening of the air injection valve or as soon as the second pressure p 2 exceeds the first pressure p 1, - calculating a first gas mass flow which is conveyed in the internal combustion engine and calculating a second gas mass flow which corresponds to the desired torque by the control unit, - as soon as the first gas mass flow is greater than the second gas mass flow, retarding an ignition angle, - as soon as the first gas mass flow, multiplied by a factor e zw,min, equals the second gas mass flow, slowly closing the air injection valve, - as soon as the exhaust gas turbocharger reaches a defined speed, fully closing the air injection valve, - as soon as the first gas pressure p 1 equals the second gas pressure p 2, opening the throttle valve by the control unit, - continuously controlling or regulating the fuel system by the control unit such that a near-stoichiometric fuel/air ratio of the internal combustion engine is available for combustion, - conventional operation of the internal combustion engine.