Jean Todt says he is proud he continued to "fight" for Halo.
The cockpit protection innovation was highly controversial from its inception, but in 2018 it arguably protected Charles Leclerc and F2 driver Tadasuke Makino in scary incidents.
But in Abu Dhabi, Halo also arguably stopped Nico Hulkenberg from quickly escaping after a rollover crash that involved fire.
"I had a lot of resistance, but when you think you are going in the right direction, you have to fight for it," the German broadcaster RTL quotes FIA president Todt as saying.
He says he feels vindicated by the incidents seen this year.
"We were able to demonstrate that without Halo, there would have been worse consequences for Charles," said Todt.
Formula E and Formula 3 will both use Halo from 2019.
"Safety is indisputably a priority, and the FIA is right if it insists," said Liberty Media’s F1 sporting boss Ross Brawn.