Reflex devs finally found a way to run with the hare and hunt with the hounds.

The new HUD which shows item timers is a great addition for those unfamiliar with timing and meta game aspect - at the same time it arguably ruined the competitive aspect and a large portion of so called meta game.

A future update will include a HUD callvote that enables or disables the timers for all participants on the server.

Official statement from newborn:
At some point in a future update we will be adding a "callvote lockhud" command. This will force players to use the official, unmodified HUD files only and will not include item timers (or strafe jump helpers, or grenade timers etc). Over time, this will become part of a larger system of settings that are appropriate for competitions and high level play but not for general pub games.

Source: Official forums/Statement