Johann Zarco takes his third pole position in the MotoGP™ class, beating Jorge Lorenzo’s best lap from 2008. He is now the second French rider overall in the premier class after Christian Sarron (6 pole positions). He is also the first French rider to start a season from pole position since Pierre Monneret in Reims 1954.
This is the first time there are two independent team riders on the front row since Motegi last year with Johann Zarco ahead of Danilo Petrucci.
In second place on the grid is Marc Márquez who won the MotoGP™ race in Qatar in 2014. He was also second on the grid two years ago and eventually crossed the line in third.
This highest Ducati rider is Danilo Petrucci in third place on the grid, which is his fifth front row start in the MotoGP™ class to make it three different manufacturers represented on the front row for the third successive time in Losail.
Heading the second row is Cal Crutchlow, his best qualifying result since he was fourth also in Aragon last year.
As last year in Losail, Andrea Dovizioso is in fifth place on the grid. He has been the first Ducati rider across the line for the last five years on this track.
Taking the final place on the second row is Álex Rins, which is best qualifying result on what it is his 14th start in the MotoGP™ class.
Dani Pedrosa starts his 200th MotoGP™ race from seventh on the grid, his worst qualifying result since Australia last season. For the last two years in Qatar, Pedrosa finished in 5th place in Qatar, from 7th place on the grid. He has never won the opening race of the year since moving up to the MotoGP™ class in 2006.
Second Yamaha rider on the grid, Valentino Rossi is in eighth place on the grid, which is his worst dry-weather qualifying result since the German Grand Prix last year.
Heading the third row of the grid is Jorge Lorenzo who is the most successful rider on the grid in Qatar with with 6 wins (3 x MotoGP™, 2 x 250cc, 1 x 125cc).
Maverick Viñales, who won last year in Qatar from pole position, will start from the final place of the fourth row.