Miller and Gardner perform strongly in challenging conditions.
Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) took a stunning pole position at Sepang International Circuit, as the Italian veteran sliced half a second off the time at the top and remained unthreatened.
Compatriot Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) took P2 on his final lap, just edging out teammate Jorge Lorenzo as they complete the front row.
In Q1, Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) took control of the wet session to secure graduation early on, then lowering his time further to top the table by a good margin over Frenchman Loris Baz (Avintia Racing). Baz, despite a Turn 2 crash, had done enough before the incident to secure his place in the second session and the two moved through.
Conditions for Q2 remained wet, but Dovizioso came out fighting near the start of the session and set what was an unthreatened provisional pole position laptime on only his second attempt – before being the only man able to beat that as he later took another few hundredths off.
Rossi suffered a small moment around turn one in Q2, before gathering it back up to go for another attack and just take second on his final run.
Lorenzo put in a stunning show in the difficult conditions to not only duel with teammate Rossi, but qualify on the front row in conditions that have proved more difficult for the Mallorcan this season. With higher ambient temperatures and growing confidence, Lorenzo was a wet weather pacesetter in Sepang once again.
Reigning champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) heads the second row as he struggles with illness and isn’t quite 100 percent, hoping to be back to his best for race day, with Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) crashing out as he pushed to move forward and then picking the bike up to go for one more lap, taking an impressive fifth.
Recovering and returning Andrea Iannone (Ducati Team) put in a solid run in difficult conditions to qualify in sixth, ahead of the Team Suzuki Ecstar duo of Aleix Espargaro and Maverick Viñales, who both struggled slightly more in the washout of the Q2 session.
Alvaro Bautista (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) will line up ninth after not only graduating to Q2 but also qualifying within the top ten for the Noale factory, with Loris Baz (Avintia Racing) impressing to complete the top 10 after graduating from Q1.
Pol Espargaro (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) was P11 after a tyre decision switch, ahead of 12th-placed Hector Barbera (Avintia Racing), with race day however sure to see track conditions change once again and Sepang International Circuit ready for another spectacular Sunday clash. Aussie Jack Miller (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS) was 14th.
Reigning champion Johann Zarco (Ajo Motorsport) destroyed the field in Moto2 qualifying, as the championship leader got in the groove and took an almost unbelievable pole position that saw his final attempt push him more than two seconds clear of the field.
Franco Morbidelli (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS) equaled his best career qualifying result in second, with Axel Pons (AGR Team) putting in an impressive late dash to complete the front row. Remy Gardner (Tasca Racing Scuderia Moto2) had a career-best session to line up in ninth as he impressed in the tough conditions.
Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) has stolen a stunning last minute pole position in Moto3, after the fight seemed set as a duel between Jorge Navarro (Estrella Galicia 0,0) and Francesco Bagnaia (Pull&Bear Aspar Mahindra) on a very wet track.