- Johann Zarco (Ajo Motorsport) is on pole for the fifth time in 2016. He won the Moto2™ race at Motegi last year from pole position.
- Tom Luthi (Garage Plus Interwetten), who starts from the front row for the first time since the Austrian GP, won the Moto2™ race at Motegi two years ago.
- In third place on the grid is Franco Morbidelli (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS), making his 50th grand prix start. He has finished on the podium four times in the last seven races, but is still waiting for his first grand prix win.
- Heading the second row of the grid is Sam Lowes (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2), who will be aiming for back-to-back race wins for the first time in his GP career.
- Sandro Cortese (Dynavolt Intact GP) starts from fifth place on the grid – his best qualifying result since the Spanish GP back in April. Cortese is making his 200th Grand Prix start and is the youngest rider ever to reach this milestone.
- Championship challenger Alex Rins (Paginas Amarillas HP 40) is down in 22nd place on the grid, which is his worst qualifying result since he was in 27th place on the grid for the German GP in 2012 - his rookie year in the Moto3™ class.