Check Airman, ‘flashing red box’ hard to ignore.
I agree, but the initial point is which display is more likely attract the pilot’s attention to a parameter and thence the overall situation for subsequent action. It would have been interesting to consider a flashing gauge ‘display’ for comparison, but I suspect from previous studies of display formats and aspects of Gestalt as above, the centrally located presentation would still be superior both for attention and ‘intuitive’ use – action.
Your point starts with the assumption ‘If’ the pilots are looking at a gauge display; it is often the assumptions which bias the starting point of our thoughts.
We will have to wait for the NLR report for the experimental details, but based on their previous work and the presenter pilot’s involvement, I would have confidence in both the scientific method and summarised findings.