I'd welcome the addition of a simple on/off switch in the Options screen, for the gear number display on the dashboard.

On some cars (and with many controllers) it makes sense to have one, but not in others. While it's a very simple addition that doesn't require much work, it could add a little something to immersion.

you mean have the gear indicator off for the road cars and on for the GTR cars?

The basic idea is that cars with a gated shifter would be affected by this option, while those with sequential are not.

AFAIK all road cars with a fully manual transmission do not have such display, (and I suppose some of the cheaper cars with sequentials do not have it either, but that's another story)

Racing cars might be an exception, since the UFR received a new dashboard in patch Z which indeed sports that display despite having a manual. The same could happen for the FZR in the future.

Another way round this, would be to skip the new option entirely, and use the transmission mode instead: whenever it is set to sequential, the display would be forced on no matter what the car has, while it would disappear whenever the transmission is set to manual.

While not having gearshift indicator in H-gated cars might be more realistic, but in LFS many people don't have H-Shifter, and even the minority which does have them, you'll get no sign that you mishifted, as gears aren't grinding as in RL.

So, as an option, definetly +1,

Forced one, -1

Quote from [RF]-art555 :

but in LFS many people don't have H-Shifter,

Also in some leagues the sequential mode is prescribed by the rules.

I'm not a deranged elitist and both my proposals would create no harm to the drivers who need to use the sequential mode for whatever reason.

Quote from [RF]-art555 :

and even the minority which does have them, you'll get no sign that you mishifted

That's not a real problem, as of now the gear can only be engaged/not engaged, and if you misshift you'll notice as soon as your foot gets back on the throttle.

A real driver can feel where the gearstick is and if the worse comes to the worst, look down and see. In LFS you can't, so given the choice of a HUD or on the dash, I choose on the dash.

I agree with having it in the dashboard whenever it makes sense. It's also perfectly fine to have it on the dashboard when one has to drive with a sequential (but didn't I say that before?)

That said, I'm not sure I get your point, are you talking about cruising? In a race or hotlap, if I forget which gear I'm in, it means it's time to go to bed

how if only the H-Shifter users lost the gear number and the rest kept it on?
sounds very confusing, I know, but if possible, this would be good.