- Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) starts from pole for the second time in 2017. This is the first time that Pedrosa has had two poles in a single season since 2013, and Pedrosa’s third pole in the MotoGP™ class at this circuit. His last win at this circuit was in 2008, which was also the last time that he won at both Jerez and Catalunya in the same season.
- Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) is in second place on the grid, his first front row start since joining Ducati. This is his ninth successive front row at this circuit.
- The last time that these two great Spanish rivals took the top two places on the grid was at the Catalan Grand Prix in 2014.
- Danilo Petrucci (Octo Pramac Racing) starts from third place on the grid, his first ever front row in what is his 89th grand prix start.
- Lorenzo and Petrucci are the first Ducati riders to qualify on the front row at the Catalan Grand Prix since Casey Stoner in 2010, which was also the last time a Ducati rider was on the podium at this circuit – Stoner in 3rd place.
- After two crashes in the qualifying session Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) starts from the head of the second row. Marquez has had just three podium finishes in his last nine MotoGP™ starts.
- Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) is in fifth place on the grid, which is his best qualifying result since the Australian GP last year. This equals the best qualifying result in the MotoGP™ era by an Aprilia rider, achieved by Regis Laconi at Mugello in 2002.
- Hector Barbera (Reale Avintia Racing), who is making his 250th grand prix start, is in the final place on the second row – his best qualifying result since the Czech GP last year. Barbera has not had a top ten dry weather race finish since the French GP last year.
- Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) heads the third row of the grid. After winning in Italy Dovizioso could become the first Ducati rider since Casey Stoner in 2010 to win back-to-back races.
- Jonas Folger (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) is the highest placed Yamaha rider in qualifying in eighth place on the grid, equalling his best qualifying result so far in his rookie MotoGP™ season.
- Championship leader Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) is in ninth place on the grid, the first time this year he has failed to get on either of the front two rows.
- Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar), who has qualified in 12th place on the grid, is making his 200th grand prix start.
- Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) is in 13th place on the grid, which is his worst qualifying result in dry conditions when riding a Yamaha since qualified in 17th place on the grid at Valencia in 2007 when he crashed during qualifying.