An internal combustion engine (ICE) includes a crankshaft, a cylinder head defining in part a variable combustion chamber of the ICE, a direct fuel injector mounted on the cylinder head, a power source, an electric turning machine (ETM) rotating the crankshaft, an absolute position sensor providing an indication of an angular position of a rotor of the ETM, and an engine control unit (ECU) operatively connected to the absolute position sensor. The ECU controls a delivery of electric power from the power source to the ETM based on the angular position of the rotor of the ETM and causes the direct fuel injector to inject fuel directly in the combustion chamber at a time selected based on the angular position reached by the rotor of the ETM.