A method for controlling an internal combustion engine includes: providing a setpoint value of at least one combustion attribute on the basis of a setpoint value characteristics map; determining from a control variable characteristics map a value of a characteristics-map-based control variable for controlling the engine; ascertaining with the aid of a data-based model a value of a modified control variable for controlling the engine, the data-based model specifying a predicted combustion attribute as a function of a real value of the combustion attribute of the preceding combustion, and the value of the modified control variable for controlling the engine being ascertained from the predicted combustion attribute; and providing a real control variable set to a value that is a function of the value of the characteristics-map-based control variable and/or the value of the modified control variable.