Internal combustion engine diagnostics using traditional methods of cylinder pressure signal processing limits the amount of information available about the combustion process. It is necessary to conduct research in order to obtain more precise information – increasing the combustion process diagnosis potential. One such suggestion is the use of an ionization signal and an attempt to link it to the flame development during combustion of gaseous fuels. The article attempts to identify such a relationship using a rapid compression machine due to optical access it provides to the combustion chamber. As a result of the research, the relationships between the ionization voltage (chemical and thermal) of the first combustion phase and the corresponding flame development rates were determined. A relatively high coefficient of determination value was obtained for both relations, which indicates the possibility of obtaining diagnostic information about the combustion process from the ionization signal.