To reduce a variation in air fuel ratio during a compression ratio change transient period and to reduce the fluctuation of an output of an internal combustion engine by inhibiting purge control during the compression ratio change transient period in a variable compression ratio internal combustion engine.

In the internal combustion engine including a compression ratio variable mechanism changing compression ratio by changing a gap volume in a combustion chamber and a purge control controlling a flow rate of fuel vapor supplied to an intake system of the internal combustion engine, purge control is inhibited during the transient period in which a compression ratio is changed (S120). Also, the inhibition of purge control is executed for a predetermined period of time.