- Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) starts from pole for the fourth time this year, but for the first time since the Italian Grand Prix at Mugello - which was also the last time he was on the front row. Viñales has had two wins and a second place finish from his other three pole position starts in 2017, and will be aiming to finish on the podium at back-to-back races for the first time since he won at Le Mans and finished second at Mugello.
- The last time the rider on pole won the MotoGP™ race at Misano was Dani Pedrosa in 2010.
- Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) starts from the front row for only the third time in 2017. On both previous occasions he has qualified on the front row this year he has gone on to win the race, at Mugello and the Red Bull Ring. If he wins the race he will be the oldest rider to win three or more successive premier class races since Mick Doohan in 1998.
- Dovizioso is the first Italian rider on an Italian bike to start a Grand Prix race on Italian soil leading the premier class Championship since Gianfranco Bonera riding for MV Agusta at Imola in 1974.
- After being on pole at the last four races, Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) starts from third place on the grid. The last thirteen wins for Marquez have come after staring from either first or second place on the grid. The last time he won after qualifying in third place or lower was at the final race of 2014 at Valencia when he was the fifth fastest qualifier.
- Heading the second row is Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda), who is the top Independent Team rider in qualifying for the fourth time in 2017.
- In fifth place on the grid is Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team), who has only once failed to finish on the podium from his nine previous starts in the MotoGP™ class at Misano – two years ago when he crashed shortly after making a bike change in a flag-to-flag race.
- Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) is sixth – which is the 10th time this year he has been the highest placed rookie in qualifying.
- Heading the third row is Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team), who won the MotoGP™ race in Misano last year after qualifying eighth.