Method for actuating an element in the air supply tract of an internal combustion engine, in particular a throttle flap

A method for actuating an element (22) in an air supply tract (29) of an internal combustion engine (19), wherein the internal combustion engine (19) has a driveshaft (28) which is coupled to a toothed ring (16), and the internal combustion engine (19) has at least one cylinder (30) with at least one inlet valve (37), wherein the internal combustion engine (19) is in a run-down phase and a rotational speed of the driveshaft (28) is thus decreasing, with generation of rotational speed fluctuations (60), wherein the internal combustion engine (19) is coupled to a starting device (13) which has a pinion (10) for engaging into the toothed ring (16), which pinion serves to set the driveshaft (28) of the internal combustion engine (19) in rotation in order to permit starting of the internal combustion engine (19), and the element (22) is in an at least approximately closed position (61), comprising actuating the element (22) such that the element opens the air supply tract (29) before the pinion (10) engages into the toothed ring (16) of the internal combustion engine (19), wherein at a time (te) of engagement of the pinion (10) into the toothed ring (16), an inlet valve (37) of a cylinder (30) which was most recently in a compression stroke before the engagement is already closed.