- Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) is on pole for the second time this year; it is the first time he has had more than a single pole in one season in the MotoGP™ class.
- This is the first pole for Ducati at the Sepang circuit since 2005 when Loris Capirossi was the fastest qualifier.
- Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) is on the front row for the eleventh time in 2016. He has finished in the top five in the last fourteen MotoGP™ races at Sepang.
- In third place on the grid is Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP), who has finished on the podium in his last five MotoGP™ races in Sepang, but has never stood on the top step of the podium at this circuit - in the MotoGP™ class.
- The winner in Malaysia two years ago, Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), has not qualified on the front row for the first time since the San Marino Grand Prix.
- Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) starts from fifth place on the grid, the sixth successive race that he has been the top Independent Team rider in qualifying. Following his win one week ago in Australia, Crutchlow could become the first British rider since Barry Sheene in 1977 to win back-to-back premier-class grand prix races.
- On his return to racing, after missing the last four races, Andrea Iannone (Ducati Team) has qualified in sixth place on the grid. Iannone has not finished a race in the MotoGP™ class at Sepang, having missed the race in 2014 due to injury and retired in both 2013 and 2015 with technical problems.
- Aleix Espargaro (Team Suzuki Ecstar) is in seventh place on the grid and is the top Suzuki rider in qualifying for the third successive race.
- In eighth place on the grid is Maverick Viñales (Team Suzuki Ecstar), who has finished third at the last two races and could become the first Suzuki rider since Kenny Roberts in the 500cc class in 2000 to stand on the podium at three successive races.
- Alvaro Bautista (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) is in ninth place on the grid – his best qualifying result since he was the 7th fastest qualifier at the French GP in 2014 when riding a Honda.
- Loris Baz (Avintia Racing) heads the fourth row of the grid, which is his best ever qualifying result so far in his MotoGP™ career.