Figueiredo began karting at age eight, and by the time she was twelve, coach Nailor Campos — who had previously mentored Tony Kanaan, Rubens Barrichello, Enrique Bernoldi, and Andre Ribeiro — took her under his wing as coach and chief mechanic. When her family could no longer fund her racing at age fifteen, Campos helped secure sponsorship from the Medley pharmaceutical company, owned by former racer Xandy Negrão.
With that backing, Figueiredo finished runner-up in multiple karting championships and won the Sorriso Petrobrás Kart Cup in 2003. After three seasons in Brazilian Formula Renault, she moved to Formula Three Sudamericana in 2006 with Cesario Formula, and also drove a Volkswagen Touareg for PPD Sports, owned by Pedro Diniz, that same year.
Figueiredo entered the American Indy Lights Series in 2008 with Sam Schmidt Motorsports, racing under the name Ana Beatriz. She finished fifth in the Freedom 100 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 23, 2008 — the highest finish by a female driver in that race at that time. On July 12, 2008, at Nashville Superspeedway, she led the most laps and claimed victory, becoming the first woman to win a race in Indy Lights. She earned Rookie of the Year honors and the Tony Renna Rising Star Award for that debut season.
She returned to the Sam Schmidt No. 20 car in 2009. After a hard crash in the Freedom 100 forced her to miss the Milwaukee Mile race, she recovered to win her second Indy Lights race at Iowa Speedway on June 20, 2009. She skipped the season finale due to funding issues but still finished eighth in the championship standings despite missing two races.
Figueiredo stepped up to the IndyCar Series in 2010 with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing, initially confirmed for the São Paulo Indy 300 in March before expanding to further rounds. She qualified for the 2010 Indianapolis 500 but was caught up in a late-race accident involving Ryan Hunter-Reay and teammate Mike Conway on the final lap.
For the 2011 season, Figueiredo competed full-time for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing in the No. 24 car. In the opening race at St. Petersburg she broke her wrist, causing her to miss the following round and requiring her to race with a brace for much of the remainder of the season.
In 2012 she tested for Andretti Autosport, driving James Hinchcliffe's No. 27 car during an open test at Sebring. She subsequently competed for Andretti Autosport with assistance from Conquest Racing at the São Paulo and Indianapolis rounds.
Figueiredo moved to Stock Car Brasil in 2014 and competed in approximately 120 races across multiple seasons. Her best results included two top-five race finishes, and she achieved her strongest championship standing of 24th in 2018 before taking maternity leave. She returned to racing full-time in 2023 via the Copa Truck series.
Figueiredo's 2008 Indy Lights win at Nashville Superspeedway remains a landmark moment in motorsport history, making her the first woman to stand atop the podium in the series. Her career bridged the formative development ladder of American open-wheel racing and the highly competitive Brazilian touring car scene, demonstrating sustained competitiveness across multiple disciplines and countries over two decades.