cars in 99 had less grip, both mechanically and aerodynamically, and it was boring as well.
lower grip doesn't always mean more mistakes and more challenging driving....it could just make things slow and numb, it has a lot to do with how grip is found, when outstanding commitment and skill allows the real talented drivers to find grip when others can't, it makes great racing, for example when it rains.
The turbo era was exciting when only a few of the drivers were fully prepared and sufficiently talented, it was when someone can banzai a lap on qualifiers and lap 2 second faster than anyone else on the grid, simply because none of the other drivers feel comfortable going flatout in places where it could potentially kill them. Nowadays everyone is pushing the limit at get go, raw bravado isn't as much as separating factor anymore, and things get progressive.
Things should be change to make teams and drivers operate more under a constraint - more away from a perfect ideal racing scenario. Like tracks where tire temperture and wear is critical always produce interesting results.