A method for providing a clamping force that is generated with an automatic parking brake for a vehicle using a brake motor and a brake piston that acts upon a brake disk, includes building up a hydraulic pressure in a braking circuit of the vehicle after the automatic parking brake is applied. The method further includes determining a pressure loss gradient in the braking circuit of the vehicle. The method further includes performing or not performing a further application of the automatic parking brake based in part upon the determined pressure loss gradient.