A method for determining an amount of energy released in the working cycle of an internal combustion engine cylinder includes: (a) recording a time curve of the rotational speed of the engine crankshaft using tooth timings measured using a toothed sensor disc, (b) assigning each tooth timing to a working cycle of a selected cylinder, (c) determining a cylinder-specific average value from the tooth timings assigned to the selected cylinder, (d) determining cylinder-specific tooth timing deviations from the determined cylinder-specific average value, for the tooth timings assigned to each working cycle of the selected cylinder, (e) determining a cylinder-specific characteristic tooth timing by summing the determined tooth timing deviations, and (f) specifying the amount of energy released in the working cycle of the selected cylinder as a function of the determined cylinder-specific characteristic tooth timing, the amount of energy released being indirectly proportional to the determined cylinder-specific characteristic tooth timing.